Return to Me, My Love
by htbookreader1
Summary: AU set after "victory of the Daleks" the doctor thought bringing her back would make her safe. He had no idea that leaving Amy Pond to get married was far more dangerous than he had ever imagined. will he save her? or get stuck in time? 11/amy r r plez!
1. Chapter 1: The Leaving of All Hope

**okay here i go and try to write a new fanfic. This time its Doctor who! get excited. Me, personally? I'm nervous and hopeful for this because i have rather bad luck in much fan fics other than Robin Hood and Twilight. But i really love the new season of Doctor who. I love the relationship between Amy and 11. Makes me happy. So guys this is set after "Victory of the Daleks." Very Very VERY AU. The Doctor brings Amy home because he's worried that she won't be safe with him. **

**Disclaimer: Don't own Doctor Who at ALL!! love Matt smith though, but dont' own him either (obviously)**

Return to Me, My Love

**Chapter One: The Leaving of All Hope**

Amy Pond blinked. She opened her eyes and took a sharp intake of breath, seeing that she was in her own home, in her own time, and in her own life.

She rubbed her eyes, wondering if she had dreamt up everything.

Everything from Prisoner Zero, the world ending, Starship UK, and the Daleks, to his miserable sonic screwdriver and the TARDIS…

To _him._

Amy stood up now and walked to the closet in her room to take out the white gown that seemed to glare at her. It dared her to wear it today, to make a mockery of the union she had been planning to enter into until _he_ had shown up. Until he had shown her an entire world, a galaxy which was greater than she could ever have imagined. Which was greater than anything she had ever known, or dared to dream.

She sighed and looked darkly at the white dress.

_Suppose it was ripped somehow…wedding would have to be postponed, wouldn't it?_

Amy shook her head. It was daft to think of that. She wasn't a child anymore, able to escape from things if they weren't just as she wanted them, if they weren't_ just _right.

As she began to dress herself, she remembered a little girl, with fierce red hair and freckles who had hidden herself under the bed…

_I don't WANT to see him, _she had yelled. _That doctor thinks I'm crazy!_

Little Amelia Pond couldn't hear the reassuring murmurs of the grownups as their whispered hushes tried to travel through her locked door, and underneath her bed.

The child lay on her stomach in the darkness playing with the dolls she had made one night when she couldn't sleep. She had closed her eyes and tried to focus her thoughts on him, the Doctor, the mysterious, kind stranger, who had tried to fix the scary crack in the wall.

And then she had gone to work, creating his image out of socks, out of twine, out of buttons, out of the multiple things that cluttered her room.

So that now, she could pretend he was there again, that he was real, she had not dreamt him up to create an imaginary friend.

And, Amelia was certain, if he _was_ an imaginary friend, he was, by far, better than any of her real friends that did not disappear inside telephone booths.

Now Amy, all grown up, began to feel that she very much wanted to crawl under the bed again and play with her toys.

She stood in front of the mirror, looking at herself in her wedding dress. It looked so stiff, and, moreover, she looked stiff and uncomfortable wearing it, as if she was forced to pose for a painting. Amy had bought the dress a while ago, never really thinking that she'd ever have to wear it one day for real.

_Bloody cold feet._

But Amy knew it wasn't a case of cold feet, or jitters, or even butterflies.

But…of a bruised heart.

Amy put on her earrings, remembering what The Doctor had told her when the TARDIS had landed in the middle of her bedroom last night. His face, usually full of a smile or a grin, was very serious as the two of them walked into her room.

_I don't want to come back here, _she had said quietly. _There's nothing for me here._

The Doctor walked around her room, saying nothing, taking note of the furniture, the crack, and surveying everything there was to see.

He stopped when he reached her closet.

Amy had bitten her lip.

_You're hiding something in here, _he said. _Something you don't want people to see, something you don't want to see._

Amy blinked. _Doctor, how—?_

He smiled at her. _Door's closed, first clue. If you live alone, why close your closet?_

The girl shrugged.

The Doctor began to open the door. Amy took a sharp intake of breath. But, in a flash, the Doctor had seen the dress. Amy had sort of hoped, in a small girlish fantasy, that his face would somehow show a sign of upset, or disapproval. She nearly begged him to be angry with her, for keeping this a secret. That way she would know…

_You are getting married, _he said somberly. It was more of a statement than a question.

_Yes._

_When?_

_Tomorrow, _she answered.

The Doctor nodded. _This is just another reason why you cannot come with me anymore._

Amy, annoyed, crossed her arms and walked closer to the Doctor. He did not touch the dress, but just stared at it.

_You still haven't mentioned the first reason._

The Doctor had slowly turned to face Amy. _Everything I do, everything I see, everywhere I go…is dangerous. You could get hurt. _The Doctor closed the closet door.

Amy grinned a bit. _You worried about me?_

_Worried that your fiancée would be left all alone, _he answered.

_Rory._

_The nurse?_

_Yes._

The Doctor looked, to Amy at least, like he wanted to say something, anything. But, instead he turned away from her and walked back to the TARDIS. Amy had known that in a minute, he would be gone forever from her life.

_Doctor!_

He turned back and gave Amy that smile that sent a surge of warmth, uncontrollable happiness into her body. _Yes?_

_I'll miss you, _she said. She had intended for it to be less sad and melancholy than it came out.

The Doctor sighed. He brushed a bit of hair from his face.

_The Daleks escaped, I let my guard down, just for one second and…_

Amy raised a brow. _You saved the planet Doctor, and yourself along with it, that's not nothing. _

He nodded. _Take care of yourself. Be good to Moray._

Amy smiled. _Rory._

_Sure. _He opened the door of the TARDIS and stepped inside. He turned around and leaned his head against the side of the door. _Goodbye Amelia._

_Will I ever see you again?_

_It won't be like last time, _he said with a certain edge to his voice she had not heard before. _I won't be back in five minutes. And I won't be back in twelve years. And if I do come back then… _He touched his face thoughtfully, and pulled at a strand of his hair.

_I won't know it's you? _

_Live your life Amy, _he said quietly.

Then the door to the TARDIS closed abruptly. Amy watched as it, like a puff of smoke, like a fog, like rainbow, faded and was suddenly gone.

A knock on the door jolted Amy from her thoughts and she turned abruptly towards the door. A small, childish thought washed through her, half expecting, half hoping, that the Doctor himself would waltz in through the door.

"Come in," she said.

Instead of the Doctor, Rory, dressed in a suit and tie walked in. He looked at her, blinked, and then put his hands to his eyes.

Amy looked quizzically at Rory. "What is it? Have I got something on my face?"

"Shouldn't see you before the wedding," clarified her fiancée. "Bad luck and all."

_Superstitions and traditions, _Amy heard a familiar voice in her head say, _they're what make you all so…human._

Instead of dwelling on him for much longer, Amy smiled and laughed a bit.

"You can look Rory," she said. "Nothing bad will happen."

Rory uncovered his eyes and laughed at himself. He looked at his bride to be. "Are you feeling alright?"

Amy blinked. "Why?"

Rory shrugged. He, himself, wasn't feeling to happy come to think of it. He was supposed to be happy though, he reasoned to himself. He was getting married after all, to a girl he loved very much. Well, he assumed he loved her. They had been friends as children, had grown up together, had dated as teenagers…during that time, somewhere in there, he probably fell in love with her.

He just didn't quite remember when he had fallen in love with her.

Rory fixed his tie. "No reason, you just seem sad."

"Maybe I'll miss this room too much," suggested Amy.

Rory looked around the room, noticing how greatly _his _presence was still in here. Even after all this time, even after everything...

Rory sighed. He was going to be a man about this. They were not children anymore.

"Amy," he said, trying to sound very commanding.

"Yes?"

Rory took a breath. "I know you always have had sort of a crush on someone."

"Oh?"

"Yes, anyway, that was all well and good when we were little. Children are able to get away with such fairytales and things. But-but…" He had never been this demanding before, especially not with her. But he was marrying her today, they would be man and wife for the rest of their lives.

"But?" asked Amy.

"But not now, all of this, it has to end Amy. Do you know what I'm saying?"

_Don't make me explain it anymore…don't let me get angrier…_

Rory hadn't realized how long he had held onto this inferiority complex. For so long he had felt like he was in second place to this godlike man, this Doctor, who could travel through time and space as easily as one snapped his fingers.

"He can't come back Amy," he said not giving her a chance say anything.

Amy said nothing.

Rory blinked. "He _isn't_ coming back, is it?"

"No," she said hugging herself. As she did so, a bit of the gown ripped. Though it was a very small, very unnoticeable rip, Amy heard the very sharp, very angry noise clearly. "He's not coming back, not ever."

Rory offered his hand to Amy.

"Let's get married," he said. "I'll drive to the church."

And as he said those words, as both he and Amy stood in her room, they could not have imagined that at that very moment, there was a telephone booth floating and tossing around in the complexities of time and space.

Inside of the TARDIS the Doctor continued moving switches and pushing buttons quickly. He was trying to forget things, trying to forget people…

Trying to forget _her_.

He cursed at the crushing sadness, at the fear, and the smothering melancholia, coursing through him. These were human feelings, these were human emotions. The Daleks would have thought them to be human weaknesses.

And these same feelings were now in the Doctor…an alien.

The Doctor tried to remember why he was alone, why he had put himself in this position of bitterness and unhappiness.

He had been faced with a decision: kill the Daleks forever and rid the universe of them, or…save the earth.

Not that he was a big fan of killing 6 billion innocent people, but he knew that the Daleks would go on to destroy all the universes and all the galaxies that they could. He had saved six billion people that day, on that one planet, but he had put the lives of six trillion beings in danger.

The Doctor hung his head very low.

_All because of her…_

Obviously, obviously he hadn't saved an entire planet only because of her. It wasn't that if she didn't exist, he wouldn't have chosen to save earth, rather than kill the Daleks. But, the Doctor knew, it was the fact that the first thought that wafted into his mind was of her, of Amy, dead. Crying out in fear and then silenced forever, while _he_ did nothing except _watch_ it all unfold in space.

Of course he didn't want her to bloody leave him!

He wished that they could keep traveling together for the rest of eternity. But, there was a very bad streak of his companions coming into the TARDIS and, at the end of the day, he was the only one who walked out of it. The Doctor would always be there, somewhere, just in a different body or form, but _she_, brilliant Amelia Pond, would not always exist.

She could get killed because of him, all it took was one stupid mistake, one wrong turn, one tiny little error.

_And…_as if that wasn't bad enough, as if that wasn't the worst possible thing that could happen…

"She's getting married," he said to the TARDIS who was always there to listen and never judge.

The Doctor shook his head and tisked. He was not about to fall in love with a human, he just wasn't going to let himself. New body, new wardrobe, new EVERYTHING…but still the same Doctor. Still the same creeping human feelings that seemed to catch up to him. Still the same rush of pain mixed with happiness when looking into her eyes.

"You're 907 years-old," he reminded himself. "And she's…not."

Thinking about an age difference didn't help. When the Doctor closed his eyes he still saw her face, smiling at him.

He could put the entire universe in jeopardy, in chaos, if it meant saving her. He'd put his own life on the line…it was meaningless anyway if she wasn't in the world, somewhere.

"What am I saying?!" He yelled abruptly.

It was at that moment, at that very instant, that he felt a pang of regret. He felt this searing, sharp, and piercing feeling in his gut that made him feel like he had done the wrong thing by leaving her there, in her little room.

The Doctor wanted to go back, back to that moment in her room when she said she would miss him. And he wanted to hold her in his arms, and whisper that he would miss her too. He would think about her every day, whether he wanted to or not. To him, her eyes were brighter than the millions of stars around the TARDIS, and her laugh filled the empty and soundless void of space.

_Saving the world's not too shabby, _she had told him.

The Doctor had looked at her. He had smiled kindly. And his only thought was this: _Saving you is more than enough._

That was why she couldn't travel with him anymore. That was why he had put her back in her own time and instructed her to marry that bloody Dory.

_Rory, _he heard her voice correct kindly.

_Who bloody cares anyway?_

And while the Doctor fiddled absentmindedly with the buttons and switches, he didn't notice that a wormhole, a serious and disruptive hole in the fabric of time was slowly approaching the TARDIS. One of the most terrifying things about a wormhole is the same fear one feels when discussing a black hole.

No one ever knows what's on the other side?

A black hole at least, a person assumes, is eternal emptiness.

But a wormhole?

There is no control of when or where a wormhole will lead you. It might not even be a true reality awaiting the traveler once he reaches the other side. And, what's more, this was a very special very dangerous kind of wormhole. If the Doctor had been watching he would have noticed this as well.

This wormhole grew and thrived on the fears and feelings of things around it. It was like a trap that some very unkind being had unleashed into the outward reaches of space. Not only was the victim spend swirling and spinning through space without any control.

But the other side, the end of the wormhole, the bottom of the rabbit hole, promised only nightmares and fears. And these fears seemed much more real and tangible than the crooked crack in the wall, or the smilers who brought doom…because they touched every being who fell through them differently.

It was a very clever wormhole.

It was a very deadly wormhole.

The Doctor had no idea what he was getting into. But, as he realized that the TARDIS was slowly getting sucked into a very nasty predicament, he swore that he could have heard a woman screaming in his ear.

A woman who sounded very much like Amy Pond.

**WOOW! Wonder what's on the other side of that?? comments??? thoughts??? that would all be lovely!**


	2. Chapter 2: The Leaving of All Certainty

**Hey folks! Yes I'm back with an update the next day. This was due to the incredible responce in reviews and such that you guys did for the first chapter. Thank you everyone who reviewed! I've taken some of your thoughts and feeilngs into account. Now, i know that many of you (except for Liisa and some others) have not read my other stories. Therefore I am here to tell you that angst is supposed to happen! But thats the way i write it...and if you look to see my other stuff, things always have a way of fixing themselves...and doctor who? think thats going to be any different?? well..who knows? **

**Disclaimer: Trust me...I'm a fan. I own zip of Doctor Who. Zip characters. Zip anything!**

**Chapter Two: The Leaving of All Certainty**

He turned the ignition and the car came to life, only to go out again. Sweaty palms gripped the steering wheel, and nervous eyes glanced towards the passenger seat. His eyes rested on her. There she sat, his future bride, in her white dress. Her fingers were fiddling with her veil.

Amy was thinking about courage, courage in the face of desperation. Courage when there was nothing left in one's soul to be courageous or brave about. There was always a right thing to do, and a wrong thing to do. At this moment, as the couple sat in the dying car, Amy believed that she had two options at her disposal.

First—she could sit right where she was, and drive off to her wedding.

Second—she could take off the seat-belt, open the car door, and walk out.

She wished her brain was not so muddled with thoughts of the Doctor. They were swirling around her mind like vibrant bursts of color, slowly fading into the sunset of her mind. Amy saw the Doctor as an alien creature, stepping onto the earth without any sense of his surroundings it seemed. And she saw him save the world, two minutes to spare, no sonic screwdriver…

_Who da man indeed?_

And she saw him protecting her time and time again, protecting the world she knew, but by extension…her.

"Still not working?" she asked politely.

Rory hit the car angrily. "Yeah. You could say that."

"Is here another option?"

"No," answered Rory. He sighed. "This isn't how today is supposed to go."

_That makes two of us, _thought the girl in the passenger seat.

"Sorry," said the potential groom.

"Pardon?" asked Amy, just yanked from her internal heartache again.

"Just that," began Rory, "we're going to be late to our own wedding. Doesn't that bother you?"

"N-yes," said Amy, correcting herself.

"No?"

"Yes I mean."

"But you started to say no."

"But I finished with yes, that's the important part."

"Amy," Rory groaned. "We're making them wait."

Amy took out her cell phone. "Do you want me to call the church? Or call a cab?"

Rory held out his hand. "You're the bride; you shouldn't have to lift a finger today."

"No," said Amy, beginning to dial her phone.

Rory shook his head, holding out his hand.

Amy handed him the phone. "You want me to just wait here then? Big strong man'll fix everything then?"

Rory didn't answer but put the phone to his ear.

Amy sighed.

_What we really need is a screwdriver, a sonic screwdriver. And we need a flying telephone booth that takes us in and out of time. And we need…_

_Big strong man who'll fix everything…_

Well, Amy corrected herself, the Doctor wasn't a big strong man physically.

_The Doctor who'll fix everything._

Amy sighed and looked out the window. She stared at her simple house, by the simple street, in this simple town, where she lived her simple life. Ordinary, boring, regular, routine: that was her life now. It had been her life before _he _crashed into it, and now, it would be her life until the day she died.

_You should have told him, Amy._

_No, you shouldn't have. Better that you didn't. He's an alien, probably wouldn't understand, wouldn't care. _

_But he's the Doctor, he cares about you, maybe he'd have…_

_Not enough to let you stay with him._

In the beginning her fantasies about him, had been lustful only. And she had thought, in the beginning, that she wanted him for that. She wanted to play with that thick brown head of hair, and hold him in her arms so that he could pull her onto her bed…

_Still doesn't sound half bad._

But, she had, unwittingly, let those feelings grow. They grew from erotic fantasies to something greater than she had thought possible. Amy had never believed that she could love another person so greatly that she would give up herself for him. Amy did not love Rory, at least, not in any way that a woman normally loved a man. She loved Rory for being her friend when everyone else believed she was mad. She loved Rory for being willing to marry her when she knew, in her heart, she could not love anyone else but…

_Don't say it! Don't you dare think it Amy!_

Amy closed her eyes.

She saw a kind old face in her mind's eye. A face who was dying, and, in his death, could bring chaos unto the entire world. But, when she looked into his eyes, she saw a very familiar gaze into the nothingness he was being forced into.

There was a life yet unlived and a love yet…

_Ever fancied someone you know you shouldn't?_

His eyes met hers briefly, but her gaze shifted back to the old man. His eyes understood. His heart understood.

_It hurts, doesn't it? But…it's a good hurt._

And that hurt made this man from machine alive. This hurt made the android a human being.

It was a hurt that Amy felt then when the Doctor had kissed her forehead, when he had hugged her all those years in the future, and when he had left her alone in her room.

_Ever loved someone you know you shouldn't?_

Amy was brought from her thoughts when she heard something very light hit the window. She blinked, and saw that it was a raindrop. There were lots of raindrops starting to form and splatter on the windshield. She looked and saw that Rory was still on the phone.

"It's raining," she said.

"I've noticed," he answered.

"Who are you talking to?" Amy asked.

Rory rolled his eyes. "Cab company. I'm giving them your address so they can pick us up."

"You know," said Amy, "after we get married, we're both going to be responsible for making these kinds of calls."

"What?" asked Rory hanging up the phone.

"You know," said Amy anxious to get her mind off a certain Doctor in a certain time machine. "We we both need to be in charge of these things. If the basement floods you can call the company and start to fix it, if the roof leaks I'll do it."

Rory laughed.

"What's so funny?" asked Amy.

"I just assumed," said Rory, "that since you're the wife you'd…"

Amy raised a brow. "Since I'm the wife, what?"

"You'd take charge of the house and all of that," answered Rory.

Amy crossed her arms. "What happened to big strong man?"

"That's today," said Rory, "because it's your wedding day today."

"So I shouldn't be expecting this kind of treatment when we're married?" Amy asked. "Is that what you're telling me?"

"Yes."

The rain began to pound harder against the car.

"When is the cab coming?" asked Amy.

"Should be here in five, ten minutes," answered Rory.

Amy smiled to herself, remembering another time when she had expected someone told her that he'd be back in five minutes.

He had bent low when talking to her, something that other grownups never did when talking to children. And he had whispered to her, like it was a secret just between the two of them and the darkness.

_Trust me, _he had said giving a grin, _I'm the Doctor._

Amy looked at Rory, saying nothing.

"So," he said, "since we've got ten minutes…" He smiled knowingly.

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "I'm in a wedding dress!"

"It wouldn't be while you were _wearing_ the dress," said Rory.

"It wouldn't be proper, or decent," pointed out Amy.

Rory smiled and kissed her on the lips. He then tried to carefully take off the dress but, unexpectedly felt very determined hands push him away.

"Amy," he said, startled.

"Where you under the impression that I was joking?" she asked, fixing the dress.

Rory sighed. "Sorry, I just can't get enough of you."

Amy felt a slight shiver go through her spine. Not because she was utterly disgusted by the idea of having sex with Rory, as she had had sex with Rory. But it was the fact that now, now that she knew how she felt a little better, the thought of someone else on her, who was not…well…_him…_irritated her beyond belief.

For a while neither spoke, each listening to the rain and thinking about what had just happened.

Rory was not normally like this, he was quiet, docile, did as he was told. But, there was something about getting married that set off something in his brain. He began to feel a very animal-like instinct about things. For the first time in his entire life, he would be the one doing the ordering. For the first time he wouldn't need to follow along like a little puppy seeking attention. He would have command, he would have control.

There's a bind that forms between two people when they are married. And though, obviously, with the proper papers, that bind came come to a legal end. But, that bind is still always there, always lingering, like the creeping darkness under the bed, or like the ever-present shadow.

That sort of bind is very difficult to break.

It takes more than a sonic screwdriver, anyone knows that.

There was something that would end when Amy married Rory. There was a light, a part of her soul, which would dwindle and fade away. And, it was the same part of her soul that would sit and wait for the Doctor to come back, again and again. It was that part of her soul which commanded her to draw pictures of her mysterious friend, so that she would never ever forget him. It was that part of her soul that knew, when everyone else doubted, that he was real.

If Amy married Rory…all the childhood beauty of discovery, the smile of the rainbow, the twirling mystery of the clouds…it would all be lost.

But such a thing should not happen normally in marriage, even in an unhappy marriage. A bind, even a strong bind, doesn't suck out happiness and light. It doesn't destroy a person's hope.

Then again, how can one ever assume that such things are ever as they seem to be? A book maybe dirty and abused, yet in its pages, rests treasured words of truth. A simple man and a simple dog can be ferocious beasts. Sometimes water glasses that should move and swish don't move at all on a ship. And machines designed to win a world war reveal a darker, more sinister truth inside. All you need to know, is how to look for them. For the things that aren't ever what they seem.

And, it is not surprising that humans have the greatest difficulty distinguishing the good from the evil in things. The human race wishes to believe that things are ordinary and nothing is hidden under flesh and bone. If people are cruel, then it is surely because of their environment, or their upbringing. If technology malfunctions, and turns against the creator, then the machine must be faulty to begin with.

You'd never suspect that there was anything particularly alien about such things.

And the Doctor, even with his sonic screwdriver which seemed to see into everything except for Amy's feelings for him, could not have seen this coming. For all of the alien inside the Doctor, there were bits of human as well. And these bits wished to see the goodness in mankind as well.

The Doctor might have had his suspicions about the nurse, but it was always clouded by thoughts of Amy with him. Not of him alone, not of him alone as a threat.

There was something sleeping inside of the ordinary groom to be. The creature did not believe that the human he been residing in, noticed, except for moments where there was more animal in Rory than human.

No one really noticed that Amy had met Rory not long after she had had a visit from a mysterious man who called himself the Doctor. Suddenly Rory and his family had moved in a block away and Rory had gone over and introduced himself to Amy. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

The crack in Amy's wall: that always seemed to bother the little Rory.

He never understood why…not completely.

Something dreadful was going to happen when the two of them were pronounced husband and wife. It was something not even the Doctor could undo once it was done.

The rain continued to soak the earth, in an attempt to cleanse the ground and purify it anew. Perhaps there are times when rain has the power to clean what is dirty, to purify what is sinful. It was just the creature's luck that it was raining, it hated rain.

Because there are times when rain has a very revealing power that the sun could only dream of possessing.

Amy had never stopped to consider why Rory disliked rain so much.

She, however, did not mind it so much, and preferred it to being cooped up in a car.

"I'm going outside for a bit," she said beginning to open the car.

"Wait!" Rory said, holding onto her arm.

"Rory," said Amy, slightly alarmed at the tight grip. "I'll be back in a minute. We're not going anywhere."

"But your dress…" Rory began.

"It'll get soaked," said Amy. "And I'll get married in a wet dress."

"But—" Rory began to protest.

Amy shook her head and pulled herself free from Rory's grasp. The creature in Rory sighed; this would not happen when the two were bound, when rings were produced. Then that human girl wasn't going to be going anywhere she wasn't instructed to go…

"I like the rain," said Amy.

She got out of the car and stepped into the rain. Amy sighed; delighted as her horrid white gown grew wetter and wetter. Amy laughed for what felt like the first time in a long time. She felt a freedom in this blustery weather of rain and darkness. And Amy, in the most childlike way she could, began to twirl in circles so that she was the white light in the growing darkness of the day.

Rory watched as she spun to her heart's content.

For a moment, the human inside of him brought him to a wide smile. He liked seeing her so happy, so free of anything.

But the creature was not so pleased.

_She is not in love with you. She is in love with someone else._

The smile began to decrease, slowly fading…

_He'll come back you know, and he will find out what you really are. And then he will probably kill you. That's what the Doctor does._

The joy faded along with the smile…

_You must be more forceful with her in the marriage. We must reach our goal! We must not be defeated by him!_

"Get back in the car!" Rory heard himself yelling.

Amy rolled her eyes. "I'll come back when the cab gets here!"

She giggled, pleased with herself. She was going to go through with this day the way she wanted, not the way it was dictated to her.

The creature could not believe that this was the human girl he had been sent to command into submission! He could not catch a break! It wasn't easy being, well, him. It wasn't a picnic or anything to watch this independent redhead dance. But he had been instructed by his masters, by his race, to go to earth and find this girl with the crack in her wall.

_And the Doctor thinks his archenemy is a bloody Dalek!_

But the creature's kind had gone to all the necessary precautions to keep the Doctor from Amy and Rory. The proposal was one thing, the other, of course, was the wormhole the Doctor was currently spinning through.

As the Doctor spun through and away from any time he knew, he thought of her.

He could die at this moment, he could crash and this would burst into flames, or he could be crushed by his beloved TARDIS. And he would never see her again. And she was everything to him, he knew that now. Now seemed to be proving to be too late.

The Doctor couldn't understand how he could have missed the wormhole. It was so large that he should have just turned the TARDIS away from it. Instead, it was like it sucked him in.

Like he was pulled into it by his own doings.

That thought sickened the Doctor, because his lasts thoughts, before entering into the wormhole, were of Amy Pond.

And they were of Amy Pond in trouble, in serious danger…

The Doctor, though falling through space, was able to see that something was not right with this picture. Wormholes don't suck you in, they don't pull you in with more force because of your thoughts, and they don't just appear in space…unless someone put it there, specifically for the Doctor.

This was all getting a bit creepy.

Suddenly, and very abruptly the TARDIS stopped moving. It stopped moving in the sense that it crash landed and therefore was obviously incapable of moving anymore.

The Doctor sighed and decided that the best thing to do in this situation was to find the door and see what was waiting for him on the other side of this hole.

Part of the Doctor, would rather have stayed in the TARDIS. In fact, that was what he intended to do, immediately get the ship up and running and leave this place without even stepping foot on it. But he could not tell the TARDIS where to go if a) he didn't know where he was in the first place, b) nothing seemed to be working on the ship and c) he wanted to know what was waiting for him on the other side of the door.

"Need to get out," he said, pushing open the door.

The first thing he saw was the sun's sharp rays meeting his blinking eyes.

First clue: he was on earth, and the sun had still not gone out.

The Doctor pulled himself out of the TARDIS and assessed the scene. The world he was in now, was not very much different than the world he had just been pushed out of.

Second clue: he was not in the very distant future, nor was he in the very distant past.

But there was something that struck him as wrong with the scene. It was the same gut/Doctor feeling that he got when trying to see truth in things seeped and smothered in lies.

Across the street from where he was, he saw two children outside playing. They were near a large white house which, the Doctor assumed, was their home. The TARDIS' crash didn't seem to startle the two children as they continued to toss a ball back and forth to each other.

Upon the Doctor's closer inspection he saw the two children were a girl and a boy, probably brother and sister, and close in age.

The merriment of the children touched the Doctor's heart and he wished, briefly, that the entire world and every world could be populated with beings like this. Like two children who were content with things and worried only about catching the ball.

But the Doctor was suddenly, and abruptly, thrust from his thoughts when he heard shouting from inside the house. He could not quite hear it, so he decided to jump completely out of the TARDIS, take careful note that no one had seem him arrive, and crept a little closer to the shouting.

"LIZZIE!" yelled the voice. "ANDREW! Get back in the house, now!"

The little boy began to walk into the house, hanging his head in shame. But the girl stood where she was, holding the ball in her arms.

"Five more minutes father!" she begged. "Mummy said I could!"

"Mummy doesn't know what she's talking about!" bellowed the voice.

"I'll come in five minutes," the girl called.

The little boy, her brother, stuck his head out of the window. "You should come in, he's angry. Might not give you supper."

"I'm not hungry," said the defiant child.

The boy sighed. "I'll try to bring you something later. Just come in."

"Mum said we could play outside," said his sister.

"We shouldn't listen to her," said Andrew. "Every time we do he always…"

"ANDREW!" yelled the stern voice.

"Bye," the boy said, closing the window.

The girl shrugged and sat herself on the ground. She continued to play with the ball, spinning it on the ground.

The Doctor decided to approach the girl, find out what was going on.

As he stepped onto the street, the girl's head sprang up to face him. For an instant her eyes met his and her mouth opened wide. She blinked, rubbed her eyes, and then blinked again. The girl called Lizzie stood up, leaving the ball on the ground by her feet. She walked closer to the Doctor, her mouth still hanging open.

The Doctor, with his trigger finger on his screwdriver, should he need to use it, approached the girl.

The girl held up her hands to stop the Doctor from coming any closer. She pointed to the Doctor to go back to his side of the street. When he did so, the girl, looked both ways, and then crossed the street.

The Doctor sat back on the TARDIS.

"It's you," said Lizzie in amazement.

The Doctor raised a brow. "Do I know you?"

The girl smiled. She looked at the Doctor's clothes. "Bow tie too. She was right."

"Who?" the Doctor asked. "Who was right about what?"

The Doctor's heart began to pound, she was across the street he thought that she had brown hair. But, now that they were on the same street, he could see that her hair was fiery red.

"She," repeated the girl, "was right, about you."

The Doctor attempted to smile. "Okay, so I know what she was right about. Me. But who is this person who was right about me?"

"My mum," answered the child, her eyes bright and curious.

The Doctor really, really, really, did not want to ask the question that was staring him in the face. He was beginning to wonder if he was in a very special layer of hell.

"And," the Doctor asked, barely able to speak, "who is your mum?"

"Well," said the girl. "Her _real_ name's Amelia, but everyone calls her—"

"Amy," the Doctor interrupted in a whisper.

**Yes I'm sure you alll saw it coming. Cheers to you all! ANd yes, i made Rory evil, because no guy is ever that plain...at least not in my writing universe (hehe). Plus, lets face it, it would worse if Rory was good and didnt get a girl. Now you guys and me dont have to feel bad for him...well sorta...And feel free to yell at me and hate me...we'll have to see what happens next chapter...**


	3. Chapter 3: The Leaving of All Normacly

**Yes, the curse happens again. And i am unable to update three days in a row. oh woe is me. Hey, at least its not that long a wait right? So i saw Dr Who episode last night and though I knew (from the lovely internet) what happens after "The time of Angels" it was still very very cool and annoying when he says that River's going to be "mrs. Doctor' in the future. ANd that totally got me inspired to write this lovely chappie! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this so far!! Special thanks to JuliaAurelia (spelled hopefully right)! Read Review Enjoy!**

**(SPolier!) Note: In said amazing chap is my own tiny tribute to a special Doctor of the past.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Dr. Who, I don't own the TARDIS, sonic screwdriver, or Matt Smith either! Sad am I for not owning anything...**

**Chapter Three: The Leaving of All Normalcy**

There was a very, very, very, loud honking noise. The redheaded girl jumped, turned, and was momentarily blinded by the blinking light of the cab.

Amy saw the window roll down and a man, with dark wiry hair, and even darker eyes, stuck his head out of the window to look at Amy.

"Oi!" he called. "You."

"Hi," said Amy nervously.

"Why the dress?" asked the cab driver.

Before Amy had a chance to answer, Rory nearly leaped out of the car, sprinted to the cab, and sat in the back.

The driver gave a nervous chuckle. "Seems pretty anxious to me, are you two late for something?"

"Uh," said Amy, walking out of the rain and getting into the cab, "you could say that."

Though the inside of the cab was, obviously, much warmer than the cold rain outside, Amy felt worse now than she had before. She began to feel trapped again, cramped into a little cage of her own construction, too afraid to get out.

It was not that she never had the chance to tell the Doctor that she loved him, that she needed him, or that she would travel with him to the ends of the world, but that she was too scared to share how she felt. She was afraid of rejection, she was afraid he would not love her back, and, what's more, she was afraid of being that vulnerable with another person.

_Not that he's really a person mind you._

"Let me guess," said the cab driver turning on the car, "going to a party?"

"Sort of," said Amy.

"A wedding," said Rory rubbing off any trace of water on his skin, "our wedding."

The laughter from the cab driver startled both Amy and Rory.

"What's so funny?" asked Rory.

They saw the driver's shoulders shrug. He began to drive into the darkness and the rain.

"Nothing," said the driver.

"You're surprised," said Amy.

"You two," said the driver, not wishing to offend his customers very much, but still intrigued by this odd pairing, "don't seem like you are together. I don't know, don't mean to intrude, but there seems to be something a bit off—"

"You are intruding," interrupted Rory.

"Rory," hissed Amy. "Stop!"

"Why?"

"Because _he's_ the one forced to drive in this horrible weather and_ you're_ not, so shut up!"

The driver blinked at what he heard from the girl in the backseat of his cab. It was not a very rare occurrence where his customers were angry because he stuck his nose in a situation that was none of his business. However, it was a very, very rare occurrence when one his customers defended him, especially to her fiancée.

_Yes, _thought the driver, _this is not a perfect match._

"Don't tell me what or what not to say to a complete stranger!" Rory yelled taking hold of Amy's arms angrily.

"Ow!" exclaimed Amy trying to pull herself free from Rory's grasp.

"Whoa!" yelled the driver screeching the car to a halt. He turned around and faced the young couple. The driver never interfered with his passengers on this kind of a level of interference. But there was something very fishy going on, he could see it from the start. He was beginning to wonder if this kind girl in the white dress was forced into this marriage and that was why this very so very…off…

"Miss," said the driver looking at Amy.

"Amy," said Amy.

"Amy," said the driver kindly, "is this man bothering you?"

Amy looked at Rory. It would be quite easy for her to say yes and tell the kind driver to stop the cab so she could get out.

But…

_But what?_

What was she going to do with her life?

She had told the Doctor the truth last night…there was nothing here for her. Sure, she could continue going around to parties and kissing people. And sure, that would still be a laugh and she would still be paid to do it. But, with Rory's new attitude, she doubted that he would ever want her to do that again.

"No," she said to the driver, giving him a smile to cover her sadness. "No, he's not bothering me, we're just having a slight fight. It's normal."

"And, moreover," said Rory, "it's not your business. Keep driving."

The driver sighed, took his foot of the brake, and continued driving. In his rearview mirror, he glanced briefly at the girl named Amy. It seemed to the driver that there was a deep sadness in her eyes that she could not show to anyone. The cab driver, David Lawrence, understood what it was to have sadness in one's eyes. He could recognize that kind of pain anywhere, and his suspicions about this couple seemed to be confirmed.

There had been a girl he loved once. It was very long ago, but sometimes, in his darkest hours he could still see her face in his mind's eye. He could still see the hair, so full of gold and sunshine. He could still see the eyes, so full of depth and mystery. And he could see her smile, which she wore every time she saw his face.

And he knew what it was to lose a love. And he knew that one might move on, might be able to smile again, to see beauty again, but the mark of a lost love was always in the eyes. The eyes, windows to the soul and to the innermost feelings, could never betray the truth.

David then, decided to give the 'happy' couple a wedding present from him.

"Which church sir?"

Rory sighed and gave the driver the address. The church was not too far away from Amy's house, and, had the weather been kind, or the car had started, Amy and Rory would be at the church at this moment.

But, they were not.

And David was not one who believed in coincidences. There was a reason why it had rained on their wedding day, and why their car had refused to start. Some force, a very small force to be sure, was trying to fight against this marriage. David was willing to help delay the wedding however long he could.

Driving slowly would be too obvious, and he did not want to anger that nervous groom in the back seat, for fear that he would harm the girl, or perhaps David himself. David knew that there was a quick way to get the church, and there was a very slow indirect way to get to the church.

The rain and cloud cover, made seeing the roads nearly impossible for someone without the proper training. Cab drivers know how to drive in all sorts of conditions and accept any passenger willing to pay the fare. Well, David reckoned, he had accomplished the second part rather well. And he would drive this couple in the rain, because that was what he knew how to do. It was his job, and he never questioned his choice of job.

At least, he would not question it after today.

It was not an accident that he had taken this fare, or that it was raining, or that he could see the unshed tears in the girl's eyes.

David sighed and took the indirect road to the church. He smiled as he saw the building traffic in front of his own cab.

As he was in traffic he turned to his glove compartment and fetched a small picture he carried with him always.

Amy noticed the driver's actions and wanted to say something but stopped herself, wondering what Rory would say next. But, when she looked at Rory, she saw that his head was turned away from her as he looked out the window at the rainy day. She knew what he was like in these moods of his, off in his own world. Sometimes Amy would try to talk to him when he was like this, aloof and taciturn, but he would just stare off into space.

Amy also noticed the small change of atmosphere in the car. True, there was still a large amount of discomfort and awkwardness; however there was a certain lull in the air, a certain feeling of peace.

"Is she your wife?" asked Amy a little bit nosily.

David blinked. "Hmm?"

"Sorry," said Amy, turning a bit red, "I was just wondering who the person in the picture is?"

"Oh," said David. He was about to open his mouth, when he stopped and tried to visibly take the temperature of the male passenger in the back of his cab. "Is he...?" David began a bit nervously.

Amy shook her head. "He's in another state of mind now."

"No," said David answering Amy's question, "she wasn't my wife."

"Oh," said Amy, noticing the particular tense the driver chose to use.

David chuckled lightly when he heard her change in tone. "Don't worry about it miss."

"Amy," she corrected, "don't worry about formalities."

"My name's David," said David putting the photograph back in the glove compartment.

"Nice to meet you," said Amy.

David sighed. "Awful circumstances though, isn't it?"

Amy nodded. She leaned her head back on the seat and took a deep breath. "Yeah, what with me getting married and all."

"I was talking about the weather," said David.

He was most certainly not talking about the weather. It was true that David knew nothing about Amy except that she was marrying a man who seemed very horrible or deeply, and perhaps mentally, troubled. However, he could not sit back and let such a nice girl go through with a ceremony that would bind her for life to a man she did not love. Not if he could help it.

"Oh," said Amy. "My mistake."

"Are you alright?" asked David.

"What?" asked Amy, looking into David's rearview mirror so that their eyes locked for a second, "you want to be my bloody therapist do you?"

David shook his head. "No."

"I've had therapists before," said Amy crossing her arms. "Each one thought I was crazy."

"Obviously," said David, "they didn't help you very much, did they?"

"Not really," said Amy, "especially since there was nothing wrong with me."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with you," David said a bit defensively. "I was just wondering if you were feeling alright."

"A bit like a part of me's missing," said Amy closing her eyes and then opening them very quickly.

She had seen _him_ again, in her mind's eye.

This bothered her since she was trying, with great difficulty, to rid her mind of him.

"You know something?" asked David.

"What?"

"I feel like that too."

"I'm sorry," said Amy.

David bit his lip and continued driving slowly. "Did you lose him?"

"Who?" Amy asked, her heart beating a bit quickly.

"You know what I'm talking about," said David.

Amy was silent for a little while. "Isn't this going a little beyond the driver and passenger relationship?"

"Firstly, no, because you and I are stuck here for a while in this traffic, and secondly no because we went passed the driver and passenger relationship when you asked about the woman in the photograph."

Amy sharply inhaled. "Sorry."

David shook his head. "I told it to you because I wanted to. Because I knew that there was something eating away at you too."

"I did lose him," said Amy, answering David's question.

"I'm sorry," said David.

Amy shook her head. "But it is different than with you and her, I never…" Her voice trailed off.

"Never, what?" David asked.

Amy kept the tears in her eyes. Despite her remarkable powers of suppression, David was able to see how her eyes watered.

The girl with red hair and green eyes thought about a time not very long ago. She thought about a particular man who was in a particularly bad mood. Of course, he was entitled to be in a bad mood, as he was faced with killing a beautiful alien creature, or killing all of Starship UK.

And the girl in the white bathroom had timidly approached him. She did not know what to say, or how to help, or even what to think. To be perfectly honest, she did not remember what she had told the Doctor in that moment. But the wide eyed girl clearly remembered his response.

_No one HUMAN has ANYTHING to say to me today!_

She remembered his face. It looked so very cold and bitter. There was visible sadness and heartache for the tortured alien creature. Amy had wondered, silently, if the Doctor felt tortured too, being the last of his kind.

Being all alone in the TARDIS falling through the infinity of Space.

_No one human…_

He had been talking about her in that moment. Even though there were lots of other humans in the room at the time, Amy knew for certain, that the Doctor was talking directly to her. He had not forgiven her for interfering in affairs she had no business in.

_You don't decide what I need to know…_

It was no wonder that Amy had not told the Doctor that she loved him. What kind of response would he have given her? Amy, sitting in the car, listening to the pouring rain outside and Rory's breathing, would not think about it.

"We were never together," said Amy. "One of those 'never loved at all,' situations."

David nodded. "Better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all."

"Yes."

"And yet," said David, making a slow right turn, "you still feel a hole, like something's missing."

Amy nodded. "Yeah."

While David and Amy spoke of loves, chances, and missed forgone days, Rory continued to stare absently out the window. As his face was turned from the rest of the living world, it was a time for the little creature, full of evil intentions, to get a bit of rest. In those instances when Rory seemed in a daydream, or lost in his thoughts, it was really the creature getting some rest.

The creature, to his benefit, was very exhausted. Not only was spending his mental energy controlling a human all day, every day, but he had also been weakened by the horrible rain. But, the creature thought to himself happily, everything would be different when the humans were bound together.

The human ceremony of marriage would allow the creature to extend his powers of control to the girl and then…well then…

None of the humans in the entire world stood a chance against him.

Because he had found the little Scottish girl, with the little crack in her wall. And there was something beyond that crack, something beyond a Prisoner Zero and a watchful eye. It was something that the human had found and knew nothing about. But what the creature and his kind, had spent lifetimes searching for and understood perfectly.

The best part, the creature concluded, was that there was no Doctor to crush the operation. For the first time in centuries the earth could become the sort of planet that aliens like the creature only dreamed about.

But then the creature heard something from the redheaded human that made Rory's ears perk up a bit.

"He's a bit odd you see, sort of out of the ordinary."

The creature groaned.

_She's talking about the damned Doctor with the infernal driver!_

The creature instructed Rory. _Don't react angrily. Just act as if you're coming back into reality. _

Rory coughed. It was not a very loud cough, which would make it seem like he had been listening intently to the others' conversation. The creature smiled to himself when he heard Amy and the driver stop speaking.

It was better that Amy did not think about the Doctor if he or the human he was dwelling inside of, could help it. The less she thought of the Doctor the easier it would be to control her. Everyone who had known the Doctor, the alien creature noted, always seemed to have a little more fire inside of his or her heart. The greater the fire, the harder it was to weaken the soul.

Marriage would weaken her, the bind between man and wife would weaken her, and then…well…then she would be under the power of a greater race of beings wouldn't she?

"Rory?" Amy asked. "Are you alright?"

Rory, hearing his name for the first time in the conversation, turned slowly to face the redheaded girl in the wet dress. He smiled at her and took her hand in his, making sure to hold it gently as if it was made of the finest porcelain.

"Never better," he assured her. Rory dropped her hand and turned forward to speak to the driver. "Are we there yet?"

"Not yet sir," said David in his best monotone.

Rory tisked and rolled his eyes. "When do you expect we should arrive?"

"Well, we should be arriving any moment now," said David taking a breath and then letting it out, "that is, if it was a clear day without any traffic."

David smiled to himself a bit at his own cleverness.

_She _would have been proud of him at that moment. But, then again, she always seemed to be proud of him. And that smile…

Always that smile, greeting him at the door, always that smile, reminding him that she loved him more than anything else in the entire world.

How could he have known that such things never last? How could he have known that death can creep up on the least suspicious of mankind? It can rob the cradles as easily as the hospitals. It can destroy the young as it can weaken the old.

And David knew, ever since he had let go of her hand, that he would never find anyone else who made his heart soar beyond all boundaries. David knew that she would be the only great love of his life. David glanced back at the couple in his rear-view mirror.

Amy did not love the scary man who stared off into space. David wondered if there was such a girl in the world who could love a man like that. But, there was a time and a place for those philosophical wonderings. Now, with the help of the rain and the line of cars ahead of him that never seemed to end, he would help prevent this already cursed union.

_It's the last thing I can do for you Rose…_

And Amy sat in the back quietly thinking. The alien creature, had he known, would have been very put out by her thoughts. All of her thoughts, all of the important ones at least, rested on one very particular man.

She closed her eyes, this time she wanted to see him in her mind. As when she was a little girl trying to convince herself that he was real, she wanted to picture every detail of him so that he could never truly leave her.

_You could have killed everyone on this ship,_ he had told her.

But Amy had known that he was quite proud of her. After all she had done what he had wanted to do but feared doing: saving an endangered beautiful alien creature.

_Humanity or the alien._

And the Doctor, without thinking and pondering, had chosen to save humanity instead of the alien. The Doctor had made the same choice when battling the Daleks in the midst of World War II.

Some part of Amy believed that the Doctor would always choose humanity.

_And you could have killed a star whale, _she pointed out to him that day hundreds of years in the future.

Then she and the Doctor had embraced for a moment. Because, for a moment, they shared the same thoughts and feelings of accomplishment, of happiness. Because for that moment, the Doctor could believe that he was not the last of his kind, and Amy could believe that she was part of his kind.

_You look human, _she had remarked, looking him over.

_No, _he replied, _you look Time Lord. We came first._

Amy's heartbeat quickened a bit. She felt her cheeks redden and hoped that Rory did not notice.

She missed him. She missed him quiet terribly and doubted very much that she would ever truly forget him. When she was a young child, he had told her he would be back in five minutes. Though his return took twelve years, she never forgot about him. Amy would not let herself forget how his smile brought sunlight, or his slightly mad walking style, or his curious screwdriver, which understood what lay beyond her walls.

The Doctor might have told her that she needed to move on with her life, and that was all well and good for him! He might have the ability to bloody well move on from her, but she did not possess that skill. She didn't have a nice magical phone box that traveled through time meeting and missing new faces every day. She didn't have the task of choosing the whole of human race, or the race of one alien. She didn't change her face repeatedly and live for centuries.

_No, you look Time Lord._

Amy touched her face thoughtfully.

As the human sat in the back of the cab, wondering about how it was to be a Time lord, to be the last of one's kind, to live forever and see everything, the current Time Lord was staring at a little human girl who claimed to be the child of Amelia Jessica Pond.

The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the girl named Lizzie.

"I know what that is," she remarked.

The Doctor groaned when he saw the results: the child was, indeed, human. And, from what he could see, she was Amy's child.

"Do you?" he asked. "What is it?"

"Magic screwdriver," answered the girl.

The Doctor chuckled. "Mum got it a bit wrong. What's your name?" He was, obviously, still a bit suspicious of all of this. A wormhole happened to appear as he happened to be thinking of Amy and he happened to land in her future?

Was that even possible? The wormhole, it seemed, had brought him here for some purpose. But, the Doctor, at that moment, was not sure whether it for his good or not. He turned back to look at his TARDIS, finding that it was in great disrepair…

He would have to work round the clock for it to be safe enough for another journey.

_Did something want me to crash?_

"Mummy says that you don't have a name," said the girl. "Why do I need to have a name too?"

The Doctor bent down so that the level of his eyes was level with hers'. "Human weakness, they have a need to name objects and people of significance."

"No," said the girl. "You're wrong."

The Doctor smiled. "Why?"

"Because you're significant," replied the child. "Mummy said so."

"Oh," replied the alien. "I see."

The Doctor, though he had not felt the need in a while, wanted very much to cry. He could cry, he was fully entitled to do so, but it was something that he only felt….

_When I am so much, so very much, alone…_

"I'm Elizabeth," said the girl. "But I'm called Lizzie."

"That's a good name," said the Doctor. He sighed.

"Are you alright?" said Lizzie. "You don't look—"

The Doctor shook his head. "Space travel can be disorienting sometimes, you know, when you crash and all."

Lizzie blinked. The Doctor noticed, to his own dismay, that the color of the little one's eyes was a very familiar color.

Green.

"You didn't mean to come?" she asked sounding a bit sad.

"No," said the Doctor, realizing he had hurt the child, "what I mean is—"

"But," interrupted Lizzie, "but…" Her little voice trailed off and her eyes were beginning to water.

"Sh," whispered the Doctor gently. "It's okay, what's wrong?"

"You're the Doctor," said the girl simply. "You're supposed to…to…"

"To what?"

Before Lizzie could reply a harsh voice from across the street yelled, "LIZZIE!"

Lizzie looked towards her house. "That's dad, I need to go." She began to walk across the street when she turned and looked at the Doctor. Her eyes were very sad now, past the point of merely watery. It was a sadness that the Doctor understood very well. It was a sadness of things that were broken, broken beyond repair. Things that you couldn't fix by flying through space and time to forget what you saw, or how you felt.

"Promise me something," said the girl named Elizabeth.

"What?"

"Mum told me," said the girl trying desperately to get the words out, "that when she was a little girl, not much older than me, she prayed for someone to fix something in her room."

The Doctor's eyes widened. "Hang on, did you say pray?"

Lizzie continued, "And then you came, and you comforted her when she had no friends of her own. You came when she needed you the most."

"She didn't need me," the Doctor whispered.

"And you left," said the precocious child, "for a long, long time."

"I came back," reminded the Doctor, wishing that the little girl would stop crying, would stop being so very sad. He hoped that she would just go away, go away so that he might have a chance to cry and let loose all of his emotions too.

"You're the Doctor," said Lizzie. "You fix things."

"I didn't fix the crack in her wall," said the Time Lord. "She told you that right? I couldn't fix the crack."

Lizzie sniffed. "I have to go now, they need me back inside."

"Wait!" yelled the Doctor from across the other side of the street. "Wait! Lizzie! Elizabeth!"

She turned and looked at him. Her cold heart felt a little warmer upon seeing him.

"What did she tell you?" he asked desperately. "What did she say that I fixed all those years ago?"

Lizzie smiled. "Don't go. Just, don't go."

"ELIZABETH!" yelled the angry voice. "Get in this house, now!"

Lizzie waved goodbye to the man who came out of the phone box. She turned around, picked up the ball that had by lying in the grass, walked up the steps to the front door, opened it, and then closed it gently behind her.

The Doctor blinked and sat down on the sidewalk. He looked at all the other houses on the street, and at the road in front of him, which could lead to anywhere and nowhere. The Time Lord closed his eyes, strengthening all of his other senses as he did so. He heard birdcalls, and the swishing of cars moving past him. He heard doors opening and closing, and the melodious sounds of parents greeting children after work.

The Doctor felt the breezes touch his cheeks and twirl his wiry hair every which way. He felt the night's strong pull at the yawning daylight, and the buzzing insects coming to rest.

This felt _so_real. This all felt so utterly real to him.

And, in the recesses of his mind, under the trapdoors where he kept memories he did not wish to confront: he saw a little girl named Amelia Pond. He sat on the lonely sidewalk, remembering everything about that night. He remembered the horrible food she had cooked for him, the scary crack in the wall, and then something else…

Something that hurt him now to think of it…

Amelia Pond had been all alone in that house. True, she had mentioned something about an aunt, but…she had no mother or father. She had no brothers or sisters or cousins or friends…all she had was…was…was…

The Doctor opened his eyes and a tear slowly rolled down his cheek.

"Me," he whispered.

He was all that she needed: the strange man who called himself the Doctor.

He knew, all too well, what it was like to have no one else. He knew that one didn't find happiness, true happiness, traveling around through the reaches of time fixing things that didn't belong. He knew that admiration, or gratitude, were not substitutes to actual love and belonging. At times he ran across someone, normally not a human, but someone who looked at him like he was something more.

And still that was not enough to erase loneliness.

He had given Amy just as much comfort and warmth and love as she had given him in return. The Doctor, until that moment, did not understand how much of his heart he had given Amy. He had thought that he was greedily keeping her from living a real life with real people. He was like the Greek god Hades, trapping his love in a dark Underworld full of things a mortal should never see. But, what he had not understood was that she had felt just as complete with him, as he had felt with her.

_What have I done?_

Another tear fell from his watery eyes.

The Doctor thought back to what Lizzie had said.

_She prayed for someone to fix something…and then you came, and you comforted her when she had no friends of her own. You came when she needed you the most._

The Doctor looked at the house where Amy lived.

Though he knew that it was due to the setting sun and lack of light, her house looked very dark and gloomy.

_And you left when she needed you the most._

He looked back at his TARDIS, and sighed at the tormented and broken, machine. He couldn't leave anyway, so why not try to…

_To do what? Exactly?  
_The Doctor stood up and walked back to his TARDIS, which looked so small and unloved from outside. The untrained man only sees what is in front of him, never looking at what he can't see. And what he can't see, of course, is everything that he's ever dreamed of in his life.

He rubbed away the tears from his eyes and took a deep breath.

_The next word's sort of a scary word. Take relaxing breaths, say, 'Om.'_

The Doctor laughed to himself when he thought about that. He thought about standing with her, hundreds of years in the future, inside of that giant tongue.

And he hadn't been afraid, not really. He had taken her hands in that moment, because that was all that mattered in that breath of time. They were cold and shaky against his own. And there was that horrible smell wafting all around him, and their clothes were drenched in organic goo. And the Doctor, looking into Amy's eyes, saw none of that.

_Geronimo!_

The Doctor thought of that horrible voice commanding his children to come inside of the house, commanding all play and laughter to cease, commanding and conducting everything from his inner sanctum.

The Doctor grew a bit cross as he thought of all of that yelling and shouting.

_If he yells that way to the children what does he do to her…?_

At that moment that man who was not quite a man but more so, bent over his beloved TARDIS and let out a very loud, very angry scream into the heart of his machine. It echoed and vibrated throughout every corner of the TARDIS, yet no sound reached the street, reached the ears of the people inside the house, reached the angry voice who was now, though he might not have known it, killing the Doctor.

And the scream of anguish, and of pain, and of misery, carried one name that every part of the TARDIS felt inside its gears and buttons.

"AMY!"

**Yeah. I know i know! But dont we all love angst? And did anyone spot something odd? personal congrats from me to those who know what im talking about! Also, points to anyone who can tell me Rory's last name (does he have one even?) Happy Mother's Day to all mothers! And to mine! If she liked Dr Who i would dedicate this chapter to her....Anyway please comments? questiosn? concerns?**


	4. Chapter 4 The Leaving of All Stability

**first: yay to everyone who told me rory's last name! it was helpful beyond belief. Second: thank you to everyone who read/reviewed/favorited/alerted this story. I was in sad place when i wrote this chap: i recommend some sad music for this but that's just me. Another note::: there's a wee bit of cursing in this chap. That should be everything you need to know. Please read review enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, process, maufacture, make, distribute, sell, barter, trade, deal, ship anything to do with Doctor Who. I just love writing about it is all :P**

**Chapter Four: The Leaving of Stability **

Lights flickered from red to green, cars began to find life again, and the wheels rolled on. And all the automobiles trudged on, windshield wipers blazing, into the darkness of the rain. Brown eyes blinked at the landscape in his front mirror, he could just see what was straight in front of him…

But only just.

David shook his head. Soon he would have to end this ride and drop his two passengers at their destination. It would not do to carry on this way, in this senseless, vain, attempt to prevent a union he had no business in. He had not arranged it, had not counted the days to its arrival, had not bought the rings, and had not written out the invitations.

_And you think you have a say in their marriage?_

Actually, he did believe that.

But, in this weather, he was beginning to wonder if this was worth anything? He was one man in this gigantic and scary world. He was just David Lawrence, and nobody too important. David had resigned himself to his current profession long ago. After he turned off the car to let out the wedding party, his life would be no different.

_You know that's not true, _said a kind voice beside him.

David did not turn to look at the empty seat beside him. He knew, full well in fact, that she was not really there. It did not take a brilliant mind to understand that the voice was from the cab driver's own head.

_You were always perfect to me, _she reminded him when he remained silent.

The young driver had a very sound head on his shoulders most of the time, so his love's appearance this night-like day, came as a complete shock to him. He wondered silently whether his mind was playing tricks on him.

But in this sunless day, in this moment where even the sky seemed to be painted with rushed strokes of black and gray, everyone in the cab seemed to be seeing and hearing things, that were not truly beside them. It was a phenomenon that seemed to stumble, even the best psychiatrist. No one, however many hours he spent in research, could understand why the brain created the image and the voice of a person who was not there.

The result of a deteriorating mental state some claimed.

And, because some claimed it to be so, it was considered the cause.

But, whoever said that the majority was so clever?

Not one Amy Pond who currently sat in the back of a seemingly endless cab ride. She gazed out at the window, seeing nothing but the rain stained windowpane. Amy then looked at her own reflection through the glass, finding that it was, for the moment, preferable to the darkness. The girl proceeded to stick her tongue out at the image, trying to make it very cross.

Amy also smiled, frowned, beamed, and grimaced at the girl on the other side of the glass. Then, growing bored, she resorted to staring very intently at the glass reflection. It looked just like her, only that the other girl's face was stained with rain and seemed to have tears streaked all over her face, like battle scars.

_You were a little girl five minutes ago._

Amy blinked. She suddenly found that she was staring at herself, but next to her own reflection was…well…

Amy slowly turned around to see if he was really next to her, when she saw that he was not, she turned back to the window and saw his face again.

She cocked her head to one side, but, to her surprise, her reflection did not copy her. Instead the Amy with the tear stained face currently stared at the Doctor! She smiled at him when he spoke to her.

_You are a very brave girl, do you know that? Seeing things that don't exist, not just anyone can do that._

The girl's green eyes widened as the Doctor proceeded, not to speak to the Amy in the reflection, but to speak directly to the girl sitting in the back seat of a cab on the way to her wedding.

He gave her a sorrowful look. There was pain in his eyes.

_You are not moving on are you?_

Amy was too stunned to reply. She rubbed her eyes and assumed that this was some dream and any moment, any second, she would wake up and find herself in her bed again.

She watched the Doctor point to her reflection. _She believes me. She can see me, can like me, and can perhaps love me. And what did I ask you to do? _He did not wait for a reply, instead he shook his head and answered his own question. _I asked you to live your life. I practically ordered you to do so, and instead? Instead? You presume to love me?_

Amy watched the mirror version of herself smile at the man she loved.

_You cannot love me Amy. You know that. _

She opened her mouth, but said nothing, and closed it quickly.

_And you know the real reason, _said the Doctor blocking out the tear stained Amy so that his face was the only face that currently stared back at Amy. _You know the real reason why you cannot love me, and you do not want to say it. Words have power, words can topple empires and bring an entire nation to its feet. But you know Amelia Jessica Pond…you know…_

Amy watched suddenly as the image of her love completely faded from existence so that she now stared at herself again. Only this time, right now, the mirror image was not the only one stained with tears on her cheeks.

A shaky finger wiped away the water from her eyes so that it might never exist, so that it might evaporate and leave her forever.

She faced forward in the seat again. Amy decided that it was best, for her sake, to analyze carefully what she had just seen in the window.

It could have all been the product of her mind's thoughts shown visually to her. Or, less likely, he could really have appeared in her windowpane and commanded her to basically stop loving him. Or, alternatively, Amy was going mad.

_I'm not mad._

Amy had seen things, terrible things while traveling with the Doctor, that would make anyone mad, yet she had remained calm…always calm…

She remembered when the Doctor, in his rage, consumed with a passion that perhaps even he could not understand, had lashed out against his greatest enemy: the Daleks.

He picked up a great tool in his frustration and struck at the Daleks.

_You hate me; you want to kill me! Well, go on! Kill me! __Kill me__!_

Amy, standing near him, could feel the anger, like a kettle on a stove, bubble and rage and hiss uncontrollably. And she had stood in the back, understanding none of what she saw. She did not understand what cruelty the Doctor had seen in a seemingly harmless machine. She still could not believe, in her curious mind, that she was really in the midst of World War II.

All that she really knew, knew in her gut, was that the Doctor was putting himself into a great danger. And, what's more, she knew that she could not bear to see him this way, with this much anger coursing through him. Once before, she had been able to calm him, to bring a bit of human into him…

But that hug they had shared on Starship UK, had felt, to the girl who watched her companion strike a machine, like eons ago.

_Doctor, be careful!_

That was all she could manage to say at that moment. The only thing she had been thinking…the only thing she really wanted at that moment…

And damn the Daleks too, while she was at it!

As Amy and David contemplated and grew terribly confused by their visions, Rory sat twiddling his thumbs. He watched as his thumbs swung together in opposite motion around and around in a constant rhythm. Sometimes they would briefly touch, and Rory would begin the little game again.

His thoughts, when they were truly his own, were on Amy.

He kept picturing what it would be like when they, in clasped and married hands, would walk together down the aisle and the people would cheer.

Rory's eyes briefly closed as he heard echoes upon echoes in his ears.

_Mr. and Mrs. Rory Williams! _

_Three cheers to Mrs. Rory Williams!_

_Brilliantly done son!_

_Rory, old boy, however did you get such a girl to marry you?_

Rory opened his eyes. He blinked. He felt as if he was coming out of a dream, out of a…a…something.

How had he gotten her? Really? Truly now, what was it?

Was that little voice in his mind right in saying that she loved another? She only married him so she would not be alone?

It surprised him to think of that, because it was that same little voice that encouraged him to marry Amy in the first place.

Rory, perhaps in a state of bliss, did not even recall buying the ring he had found in his pocket. It was like it had just appeared, like magic, like a gift, or like a sign.

_Go for it…you lucky, lucky, man. _

He had walked the number of steps to her door, his emotions mixed together like a fog. He had rung the bell twice and she had opened the door to let him in. The two had exchanged kisses and pleasantries of the weather, of their jobs, of their lives.

_Come on…come on…it's now or never._

Rory suddenly found himself kneeling on one knee and looking up at Amy.

_Rory? _Amy had exclaimed with surprise.

And Rory had smiled at the girl, giving her his best sheepish grin. He had been such a boy then, so unsure of himself and what he wanted. And, come to think of it, when he was allowed to think of it, he was not much different now.

_Marry me, _he had said. It was something he told her to do, something that seemed to require no question of any kind.

_She will not refuse, _said the voice kindly in his ear.

And, to both Rory and the voice's surprise, Amy, for a time said nothing. She had said absolutely nothing at all, just staring at the kneeling boy with a ring in his hand.

What had she been thinking? Why the pause? Why the whisper of sadness hidden behind her eyes?

Why?

Why?

_WHY?_

And he had begun to wonder, even in that moment, and even in the next moment when she beamed, said yes, and kissed his lips, wonder all that time if there was something she had been hiding from him. If, like the voice in his head, there was a push in her mind to refuse him, to say no.

Rory chanced a glance at Amy now. She was leaning back against the seat, she looked straight forward, seemingly at nothing. Rory, carefully, poked at her shoulder. Amy jumped, turned, and looked back at Rory.

"Hmm?"

"Hey," whispered Rory. "How are you?"

"Tired," said Amy, feeling quite tired. "Awfully tired. And you?"

Rory shrugged. "I don't know. Excited I think."

Amy put her hand on Rory's cheek. She pulled him close to her and kissed his lips lightly. Rory, coming into the kiss, noticed how tightly her eyes were closed…

When they parted, Amy smiled at Rory.

"Feel any better?" he asked, hopefully.

In fact, in truth, Amy felt more tired, weaker, after kissing Rory than before. But, she shrugged it off and nodded. "Much better."

In the front seat, at the steering wheel, David was still coping with the voice he would not acknowledge.

_I died on a night like this, _she said sweetly. _You were so good to me then. When you heard nothing from me, you got into your little car and drove around the city looking for me. And you found my car…_

David sighed.

He blinked as he felt a small touch at his arm. This was not happening to him, this was not happening to him, none of this was real…it couldn't be.

_You held me in your arms, even when they took me away in that blaring ambulance, you would not let them. You held my hand all the way to the hospital, as long as you possibly could…I loved you so much in that moment…_

A tear slid down the driver's cheek.

_I wish you would look at me, _said the voice. _If you won't then…_

David widened his eyes as he saw her image staring straight at him on the front mirror. She was smiling at him, grinning from ear to ear.

_Do I have your attention now, my love?_

David tried to see the road in front of him, past the beaming girl he once loved.

_I will not see you die this way, _she said softly, _not this way. _Though the rain clouded and fogged up the glass, David could tell that his Rose was crying.

_Stop the car, _she begged him. _Drop these people off, no matter what might befall them David. I do not want the world to lose you, not yet. _

David let his eyes look straight at her. She looked so much like she used to…like nothing bad had ever befallen his beloved.

"Rose," he whispered. "I…"

But David found his foot hitting the brake, and felt his fingers turn off the ignition key. The car's lights faded away, and the rain, without the windshield wipers' assistance, beat greater and greater.

"We're," David coughed, regaining his voice, "uh, here."

Amy and Rory both turned to look out at the church.

"Do you," Rory asked David nervously, "have an umbrella?"

David rummaged around his glove compartment and retrieved an umbrella which he handed to Rory. Rory carefully opened the door, and then opened the umbrella. He walked out of the car, protected from the nasty wetness by the umbrella.

"Can you pay him dear?" he asked Amy as he walked towards the safety and warmth of the church entrance.

Amy sighed and got out of the car as well. Rain began to soak her already wet clothes and hair, as she fetched out some money from her purse. David rolled down his window and held up his hand.

"No."

"What?" Amy shook her head at David's sign. "No, come on, you drove us in the muck and the rain, through dense and blinding weather, we owe you…I owe you…a lot."

David sighed, he turned briefly to look back at the image of Rose, but she was slowly fading away, smiling all the while.

He turned back and faced Amy. "Think of it as a wedding present. No charge, you cannot make me take it."

Amy put away her purse and sighed. "I must give you something for the kindness you showed me."

David shrugged. "Just listen to some words I have to say, think of them, and that'll be all you owe me."

"Sure."

"You say that your love, whoever he is, is gone. But that he is not gone the same way that my love is. If I were in your shoes, and I had a chance of seeing _her _once more, just to tell her how I loved her, how I felt about her, then…I would, no matter what."

Amy sighed. "Its not the same. He said he was leaving, for good."

David chuckled. "That's silly, no one alive disappears forever, or for good." He paused and thought of the blonde girl smiling at him on his front mirror. "They always have a way of coming back to you in the end." David looked straight into Amy's eyes. "Now Amy, before you are married, I'd make absolutely certain that you've told this mystery man how you truly feel."

Amy rolled her eyes. "What, now?"

David turned the engine on and the car, his car, roared into life.

"Ring him!" he yelled to the soaked girl by the church, as he put his foot on the gas and drove out of sight.

Amy rolled her eyes again and kicked the direction of the speeding car. She scoffed, thinking absurd it was to just ring _him_! The Doctor, of all people, doing what he did, going where he went, seeing what he saw, would not just have a cell phone like a normal person.

_Time Lord!_

Right, Amy corrected herself.

And then, from the recesses of her mind, Amy remembered something about the TARDIS that she had almost forgotten. After she and the Doctor had left Starship UK, she had heard a ringing noise coming from the ship. She had asked the Doctor what it was.

_Well, _said the Doctor giving a playful grin, _it is a phone box._

Yes, Amy realized smiling a bit and walking towards the church, it was a phone box. It was a phone box, and, if Winston Churchill could ring up the Doctor than why not her? Why not Amy Pond?

She opened the door and thought, with both bitterness and resolve, all she had to do was stall the wedding long enough to find the number, and, more importantly, find the damned number for the TARDIS!

Not that any of that would be easy for her to do.

But, Amy concluded, love was not supposed to be easy or simple. And David had been right. He would have given anything to have one more second with his love. He would have been brave enough to find her no matter what the obstacles.

She gave Rory a small smile when she saw him standing inside.

"You must be cold," he said.

"Yes," said Amy, "that's what happens when there's no umbrella."

Rory nodded. "Sorry, you know how much I hate rain."

The creature inside of Rory smiled at the events taking place in front of him. First the damned driver finally arrives at the church, and second, the human girl seemed more docile and weaker by the minute.

Sometimes the human brain creates an image of a person who is not really there because of loneliness. Sometimes the human brain creates the image of a person who does not exist because of a deteriorating mental state.

And sometimes…on a rare occasion…an alien decides to speed up a car ride.

This alien being, living inside of Rory, always getting stronger by the day, had many different powers up his sleeves. One such power, though he used it rarely, was the ability to conjure up an image or a voice that was dominant in a human's mind. For example, if the human thought about his father, he might hear his father's voice in his ear, whispering secrets to him again.

Not that the gift was ever used for the purposes of good.

The creature had used this power to influence the driver, and perhaps even influence the human. In the first case, the case of the driver, the creature had succeeded in his goal. But, in the second case, in the case of Amy, it had not truly worked towards the creature's advantage.

Because Amy wasn't about to believe what the image on a mirror told her to be true. She was going to find out for herself that day, before her wedding, if the Doctor truly loved her or not.

How could see have known what sort of a wreck the TARDIS was, in that moment of time? How could she have known how very far she was from the Doctor? Amy didn't know any of that, just as the Doctor knew nothing of Amy's condition and the growing powers of the creature inside of Rory.

But, at the moment, the Doctor was facing more pressing problems.

He stood across the street from Amy's house, with his hands in his pockets. The tears and the sorrow had faded with the last rays of sunlight. Now, the Doctor was ready to assess the situation and tackle it to the best of his abilities. If he could clearly understand what sort of condition Amy was in, how her life was, then he could understand why he had come.

Maybe.

_It has to be better than a maybe._

The Doctor was counting on that 'maybe.'

The Doctor casually walked towards the formidable house during that dark night, with only the shadows to hide his intentions. He walked up to the door, debating for a moment, whether or not he should simply ring the bell.

He could claim, logically, that he was just a postman, or making a delivery, or some other good excuse.

_Selling bibles… _

But he shook his head. If Lizzie could recognize him from Amy's description, who's to say that the little boy, or the husband would not also know the true identity of the 'bible salesman'?

The Doctor stopped his ponderings when he heard a voice from one of the rooms on the second floor. The window was a bit open, ever so slightly, and he could hear a gentle voice singing. It was a very soothing, very calming voice, like bells. The Doctor almost believed that such things could bring the entire galaxies and all such galaxies to their knees.

Not that galaxies had knees mind you.

It did not take the Doctor long to realize that the voice of the woman belonged to Amy. The Doctor took a deep intake of breath as he saw a silhouette walk towards the window, singing all the while. Though the Doctor could not clearly see the silhouette, he knew that it was Amy. He had half a mind to get her attention somehow…

_You are such a child sometimes, a boy really._

He could not help smiling looking up at the shadowy figure. If he had been looking carefully, using his full range of abilities, he would have noticed the strain of the silhouette's each step and turn. If she had not been a silhouette, perhaps the Doctor would have seen everything that had befallen his dear Amy Pond.

Though, Amy Pond she was no longer.

_Amy Williams, _the Doctor thought sticking his tongue out at the thought.

_Horrible name. Just a sickening, horrible name._

The Doctor hid himself behind a tree, not wishing to disturb her further. Except then, he saw another silhouette approach Amy. The music ceased, as did all seeming happiness and peace that had ever dared approach the second-floor room.

The Time Lord heard a string of hushed and angry whispers which seemed to bleed into each other. The second silhouette grabbed the arm of the first silhouette and…and…

The Doctor turned away from the window, not able to look anymore.

_And then I'm going to have to find myself a new name, because I won't be the Doctor anymore._

"Psst!"

The Doctor turned again to the house, blinked, and smiled as he saw a window on the other side of the house open and a little girl stick her head out of it. Lizzie waved to the Doctor. The Doctor, for his part, moved quickly away from the scene he was watching unfold and walked around to the other side of the house.

He smiled up at Lizzie. "Hello."

"You didn't leave," beamed the child.

The Doctor playfully checked his person. "Yes, all still here I think."

"Andrew wants to meet you too," said Lizzie. "Is that alright?"

The Doctor nodded.

A little while later he saw the face of a little boy looking down at him. The boy, Andrew, was a bit younger than Lizzie. From the light in the room, the Doctor could see that the color of the boy's hair was sandy brown hair. It looked so much like his father's…

The Doctor kept his cool.

"Mummy was right!" gasped Andrew, unable at his young age, to notice the Doctor's sudden facial change at the sight of his hair coloring.

"I told you," said Lizzie proudly.

The Doctor, still smiling, grew a little nervous at that. "Lizzie, you didn't tell anyone else that I'm here right?"

Lizzie shook her head. "No."

"Daddy wouldn't like it," said Andrew. He met the Doctor's eyes for a minute, the boy's eyes looked so very much like his mother's. He was a true combination of his parents, the Doctor mused thoughtfully.

"You're here to help us," said Lizzie happily. "Right?"

The Doctor gave her a kind smile. "Of course, but Lizzie, Andrew, you must tell me what's wrong? What is it that needs to be fixed?"

Andrew looked at Lizzie anxiously. The brother and sister shared a look for a second, silently debating and weighing the positives and negatives of letting the Doctor in on the secret. They debated in that moment whether or not to share with the kind alien all of their fears and assumptions about the situation.

"Tell him," said Andrew quietly. "Just tell him Lizzie."

Lizzie looked at the Doctor who had come to them on the wings of her little prayer.

"Mum used to be very much alive. Just as much as daddy, I think. But as the both of us get older and older we've noticed things."

"Things?" repeated the Doctor, feeling a small ache rising in his heart. "What sort of things?"

Lizzie sighed. "She…I don't know…used to be more alive. But she seems to be getting smaller and smaller…"

"Daddy seems to get louder and louder," continued Andrew.

The Doctor crossed his arms and thought about this. He had suspected that or, at least, something like that. He just hadn't really put words to describe his suspicions. He hadn't wanted to put words to his feelings…too much power.

"Basically," said Lizzie. "We need to you make mum better, like you did when she was a child."

"Me?" the Doctor smiled, though the pain was nearly killing him. "Just heal her? But, is there anything wrong with her?"

"Dad says she falls down a lot," said Andrew boldly. "So she gets lots of bruises and scrapes. Maybe you could get rid of those too?"

The Doctor nodded thoughtfully.

_I'll bet he tells them that…prick._

_Ooo! Harsh language Doctor!_

_Well, to everything turn, turn, there is a season turn, turn._

_And there's a time to call someone a bloody prick!_

While the Doctor had a private battle in his head the children watched him silently.

"Are you alright?" Lizzie asked.

The Doctor blinked. "Yes, I'm alright. What was the question again?"

"The bruises Doctor," said Andrew. "They don't go away."

The Doctor did not want to cause alarm to the children. "Cuts and scrapes go away with time. They just need to heal properly."

"Not mummy's," said Lizzie sadly. "And she gets more tired."

Andrew nodded.

The Doctor scratched his chin thoughtfully. "When does your father go into work?"

"In the morning," said Andrew, "around nine thirty or so."

The Doctor smiled. "I'll be back again around ten, then. And, come to think of it, you both should be in bed now."

Andrew nodded and disappeared from the window. Lizzie, however resting her head on her arms continued to look out at the Doctor.

"Aren't you tired?" asked the Doctor.

Lizzie shook her head.

"Not even a little bit sleepy?"

Another shake.

The Doctor sighed. "What's the matter? I said I'll stay."

"It just feels too…too…" Lizzie's voice faded away.

"Too what?"

"Magical," explained the child. "I feel as though you are going to be gone if I close my eyes for too long."

"I'll be back in the morning," said the Doctor gently, "I promise."

"Grownups always make promises, everyone makes promises and says things they don't mean."

The Doctor raised a brow. "Like who?"

"Like daddy saying mummy would be alright."

"You don't believe your father?"

Lizzie shrugged. "He was wrong. She got worse."

The Doctor nodded and then gave Lizzie a grin. "Well, I'm not everyone."

Lizzie smiled.

"Now go to sleep Lizzie," said the Doctor gently, "sleep well, and I will be back in the morning."

The Doctor turned around and started to walk across the street when he heard Lizzie cough slightly. He turned around and put his hands in his pockets.

"She dreams about you," said the little girl in a little voice.

"What?" asked the Doctor.

"Sometimes I can hear her dream about you," repeated the child.

The Doctor took a very deep breath. "Why are you telling me this?"

Lizzie shrugged. "Because it is true."

The Doctor nodded. "Get some rest."

Lizzie closed the window and the Doctor turned back to his stricken TARDIS. He took out his sonic screwdriver, jumped inside the ship, and began to make repairs. It was a very long, and very tedious process.

He stopped his tinkering after about ten minutes.

_She dreams about you…_

The Doctor groaned and cursed an old Time Lord curse. Which, in English, translated to something like: Shit, shit, shitty shit, damn, fucking son of an ancient piece of shit—just to name a few.

What was going on? What was this world he had stumbled into? Children practically babies, where speaking profound truths, while parents appeared as silhouettes? The Doctor had been on this street for an entire day, and yet, no one had noticed him. How very odd it all was. And, he cringed to think of what he would find tomorrow morning.

_At ten, don't forget to come at ten._

He didn't want the little girl to feel that he had abandoned her as he had abandoned her mother. She was so much like her mother had been…so very brave in such a scary world. Her brother seemed to be the same but, there was something wrong about the boy that the Doctor felt in his bones.

What the Doctor did not understand, as he puttered about his bruised ship, was that Andrew, as curious as he seemed to be in this curious reality, was not the worse of the two children, nor was the worst of the people that the Doctor would see here, in his layer of hell.

**What's wrong with the kids? What's wrong with Amy or Rory? And...can Amy get the Doctor's number? All good questions. review please as i'll answer your questions or complaints! lots of love to you all!**


	5. Chapter 5: The Searching for Truth

**Yeah two in one day! "Love leads us home" and "Return to me my love" Makes me happy to update! Anyway this is in honor of new episode tonight! WHOOT! Hope you all like the chapter and please read, review, enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I love you matt! I love you Doctor! I just don't _OWN_ you! **

**Chapter Five: The Searching for Truth**

Amy entered the church and smiled as she saw Rory talking to all of his relatives and friends who had come to the wedding. She sighed at the simplicity of this life, of this existence. Rory met her eye and waved. Amy, waved back. All around her, chairs were being set up, flowers were being arranged, it seemed that everyone was moving around with a purpose in this church.

"Amy," Rory called. "Come over here."

As Amy walked over to the Williams family, Rory looked at his family silently.

_Act natural, be utterly delightful and joyous. Go! _The creature mentally commanded the human parents and friends to turn around and face Amy. They beamed at the redheaded girl who would join their family.

_That was a nice touch,_ the creature mused. _Beaming always makes humans feel comfortable._

"Amy," said Rory's mom kindly opening her arms to the girl and giving her a hug. "Thank goodness you are both safe and alive!"

"We were worried," said Rory's father kindly, as he cleaned his glasses.

"We're fine," said Amy.

One of Rory's friends, John, grinned at Amy. "Got any jitters at the thought of being tied to this guy for the rest of your life?" John believed he meant what he said as a joke, nothing more, but it irritated Rory, the creature inside Rory, and caused Amy's stomach to ache.

She smiled through the ache. "I feel fine actually." Amy noticed the curious dark look that Rory was giving John. "Rory," she said kindly, touching Rory's arm, "he didn't mean anything by it."

"Come along dear," said Rory's mother moving Amy from the room. "We have much to do and not enough time to do it in."

"What?" asked Amy as she was rushed from the entrance room, "are you talking about?"

Mrs. Williams steered Amy out of the entrance room, and down an empty hallway. On the other side of the wall was the entrance room where the rest of Rory's family were greeting and laughing with each other. On the other side of entrance room, or so she gathered from what she had seen, was an archway that led to the sanctuary.

Rory's mother sighed kindly. "Your hair looks a mess, we must dry your dress, fix your makeup, and find you a proper veil. And," she paused as she looked at Rory, "I won't begin to describe that horrible smell!" She pinched her nose.

Amy raised a brow. "It's the rain, Mrs. Williams. I'm sure that Rory smells like that too."

Mrs. Williams, under the control of the creature in Rory's mind, also hated the rain. It was not that Mrs. Williams, Mr. Williams, or any of Rory's friends couldn't have their own thoughts and feelings, but the alien was able to check on their thoughts, and instruct them.

Mr. and Mrs. Williams were not difficult beings to control; they were weak humans, products of their generation. The creature could not have found, and forced, a better couple to be parents to Rory. And Rory did not seem to mind in the least, not that he understood much, if any, of the life he was living.

"No," said Mrs. Williams now holding her nose, "he does not smell that way."

Amy shrugged. "He took the umbrella, what was I to do but get wet?"

Mrs. Williams sighed. "I suppose that'll have to do. But you must shower or something."

Amy raised a brow. "In a church? You think that there's something like that in a church?"

Mrs. Williams shrugged. "I do not know dear, I can only imagine that you do not want to smell that way when you walk down the aisle." She gave the girl a kind smile, as if she had never insulted Amy in the slightest. "By the by, have you decided who is going to walk you down the aisle?"

Amy took a deep breath. "I'll go see about that shower Mrs. Williams."

She turned around, took another deep breath, and began to walk away when she heard a little cough. The redhead turned around and saw Mrs. Williams smiling at her.

"Please dear," she said, "call me mother."

Amy gave her 'mother' a small smile, then turned around again and started to walk away. The reason why she had walked away from the conversation was because the subject of 'walking down the aisle' bothered the girl dearly. She had no real family of her own, no mother, and no father, no one in particular who really loved her.

Well, apart from Rory.

_Maybe._

It hurt her to think that she was really all alone except for Rory and his family. And yes, as John said, it did cause her jitters and goose bumps to think of herself tied to his family for the rest of her life. But it was not the thought of his erratic mother, or his absentminded father that bothered Amy Pond. It scared her to think that she would be tied to Rory for the rest of her life.

Amy walked across the hall to the closest door, she started to open it and waited patiently for the pair of heels behind her to walk farther and farther away. Amy then let go of the door and turned around to the empty hallway.

In the entrance room she heard harsh voices that seemed to be very angry but not angry enough to yell. Then she heard a small hissing sound, an intake of breath, and then nothing else. Amy raised a brow. There was something very unusual going on in this church.

But then she shook her head.

The mature part of her head sighed.

_You are trying to find problems where none exist. Honestly Amy, nothing out of the ordinary is going on here. This is a church, one of the holiest places you can find. People come in here for sanctuary from their fears, from their pain…how can you suggest that there is something out of the ordinary?_

Amy then turned around again and opened the door. On the other side of the door was, what appeared to be a library. All around the girl were lots of shelves stacked with more volumes and books than Amy could count. Where there were not shelves, there were small reading tables. Each table had a small lamp, and around each table were, at least, three chairs.

All around Amy, priests and bishops moved around quietly, reading or speaking in low hushed voices.

"Are you lost?" asked a kind voice a little distance from Amy.

She jumped a bit, startled by the noise, and turned to face a priest holding a prayer book.

Amy blushed a bit and said nothing.

"What are you doing here my child?" asked the priest approaching her.

Amy shrugged. "I just wandered in here I suppose."

She did not realize how her voice, though she tried to keep it low, seemed to echo and carry through the entire library. All those in the library, for that moment, turned to face the girl with fiery red hair who wore the white wedding dress.

"Are you part of the Williams and Pond wedding?" the priest asked.

"I'm the bride," said the bride to the priest.

"Oh," said the priest, "I see."

Amy nodded and looked around the giant room that was simply full of books. Then an idea began to waft over her. A rather smart, and yet a rather stupid, idea began to take a hold of the girl named Amy. She bit her lip, thinking over this thought.

"Excuse me," she said to the priest, "father, how old is your library?"

"Old?" he repeated.

Amy nodded.

"I'm afraid I do not understand child," said the priest. "Perhaps you should be getting back to the wedding. They will start soon."

"How do you know?" she asked him.

"I will be conducting the ceremony," he said. "The Williams family set it up months ago. Did they not tell you?"

"They don't tell me anything," Amy said. "Well, that's not entirely true. They do tell me many things, but they don't tell me about any of the wedding plans."

"Were your parents not involved in the preparations?"

Amy shook her head. "I don't have any."

A scattered mix of sighs and oh-you-poor-dears soared throughout the library. It seemed that everyone had stopped what he was doing to listen in on the conversation. Amy did not mind much, though her face grew a bit red.

"I am sorry," said the priest with genuine sadness. "It does not do us well to journey through life without those who gave us life."

"Or continue to give us life," added Amy.

The priest thought of this for a minute and then nodded. "True, we must always walk with those who love us."

Amy nodded.

"What is your name?" asked the priest. "Amelia, right?"

"Amy," said Amy holding out her hand to the priest.

The priest shook it. "I'm Father Robert. What can I do for you?"

"You could tell me about this library," said Amy. "I would be very grateful to you."

Father Robert nodded. "And you want to know how _old_ the library is?"

"The books actually," said Amy. "Do you have any old books?"

"We have a large collection of ancient books," said Father Robert nodding, "but I'm afraid you won't find them very interesting."

"Why not?"

The priest shrugged. "They are record books. They talk about the people who once owned land here, and how many cattle they had, or how much crop they grew."

"And those are the only old books you have?" Amy asked.

"May I ask," Father Robert began to ask, "why such a young girl would be so curious about something so old?"

Amy gave him a half-smile. "I'm trying to find someone."

"Someone?" repeated the priest. "Tell me his name, or," he extended his hand to the others, "tell us his name I'm sure someone has heard of him."

Amy's smile took a nervous turn. "He's someone that history sort of has a way of forgetting. I don't know, I was hoping that he would be in an encyclopedia, or someone had written about him..." Amy's voice trailed off and she sighed. "This all must sound very odd, I'm sure."

Father Roberts shook his head. "Not at all Amy. But," he continued, "it might help us if we knew something about this man."

"Well," Amy began, "he's a doctor. He fixes things that are not right and—"

"Wait," asked one of the nameless priests holding up a hand, "pardon me, but I do not understand something. You say that you are looking for an old book about a person that history has forgotten, but you speak of him in the first person."

"Did I?" asked Amy nervously.

The priests all nodded.

"Oops?" asked Amy.

"Hang on," said one man in the back. He was sitting at a table reading a book. He was a few years older than the other priests and monks, but still just as lively as the others. That morning he had been browsing around the more ancient texts, wanting to add to his already vast knowledge of the old kings and queens of England.

This priest had been listening to the flow of conversation between Amy and Father Robert. And as he had been listening he had been reading documents and letters written by the old kings. He came across an odd letter that Richard the Lionheart had written to his brother John.

"He's a doctor you say?" the old priest asked Amy. "Fixes things that are a bit…off?"

"Yes," she said walking towards him. She sat down next to him and smiled.

The priest handed the ancient letter to the girl.

"Marcus?" asked one of the priests to the old one sitting by Amy. "Are you sure it is alright to show her that? It is quite old, and very delicate."

Brother Marcus shrugged. "Why keep books and papers and never read them?" Then he turned to Amy. "You may read this child, I think this is the man you are looking for."

Amy read the letter as follows:

_To my brother John, _

_John, you shall not believe the things I have seen in this Holy Land. Truly they are both marvelous as they are horrible. Tis well known that the Saracen ruler is a monstrous monarch, but I had no idea he actually had demons under his control. These creatures, taking the forms of humans yet not humans at all, thrived on the weak and the sickened. The horrid humidity only seemed to drive them further and further. They put spells on my men, tried to spellbind me as well. _

_These beasts of an alien nature tried to infest my men's minds and order them to attack me. I believed I was doomed for certain, it was far worse than any prank you have ever pulled on me as a child. Suddenly a strange box appeared in the distance. It was a blue box, made of a foreign material I could not identify. A man stepped out of the magical box holding a silver rod in his hand. Before I could blink he pointed the rod at the demons and they disintegrated. _

_I knew not what to think, or what to believe anymore. The man approached me, though I knew somehow that he was no man. He gave me a smile and wished me luck 'with my Crusades.' He spoke of, to use his words, 'the brother at home mucking up England.' I can only assume he meant you, though I did not want to believe that you could bring harm to England._

_I thank him a hundred times over, but he shook his head. He told me to think nothing of it. And then, strangely, he handed me a card. I have copied it on this letter to you so that you may analyze it for yourself. It says: Profession: Doctor. Name: Doctor. Telephone Number: 07700 900461. _

'_Not that you're going to be able to use that for a number of centuries,' he mused. 'But you should recognize it, should a man return here to help you.' _

_I raised a brow John, and said that I should know him anywhere with or without the little white card. He shook his head, spoke of how he can change as easily as princes change into kings._

_Perhaps you, my brother, can make sense of this all._

_Your brother, Richard King of England._

When Amy had finished reading the letter she looked up at brother Marcus. There were tears in her eyes. She sniffed and wiped away her tears.

"Thank you," she said.

"This is the man you are looking for?" he asked.

"You should get back to your wedding," said Father Robert walking to her side. "Amy, you have a chance at being bound to someone who loves you very much."

Brother Marcus sighed. He looked up at Father Robert and met his eyes. "You are too young to understand such things Robert. The young lady and I are in the middle of a conversation, the wedding can wait."

Amy looked up at Father Robert and nodded. "Apparently I smell horrible anyway."

Marcus raised a brow. "Who told you that?"

"Mother of the groom," said Amy with a sigh looking at the letter again. "My future mother-in-law."

"I hated my mother in law too," said Marcus.

"You were married?" Amy asked.

Marcus nodded. "A long time ago, a very long time ago. But she died, and well, here we are."

"I am sorry," said Amy, finding that every nice person she spoke to today had a sad story to tell. Or, perhaps, now that she had her own sad loveless story, she was more in tune to the misfortunes of others and felt empathy towards them.

"Anyway," said Marcus sniffing near Amy, "you do not smell badly at all. Only wet, is that not so Robert?"

Father Robert discreetly sniffed Amy as well. "Natural is my take on it. What do you think Luke?"

And soon every monk and priest in the library was delicately sniffing poor Amy Pond. Once they had each had a turn she asked for their verdict.

"We have decided," said Father Robert, "that your aroma is of a mixture of rain and nature which is quite a pleasing to the nose. Mrs. Williams must have smelled something horrible next to you."

Amy shook her head. "No, it was me specifically. She recommended that I take a shower."

All the monks shook their heads.

"I wish my room smelled that way," said one.

"It is a very beautiful scent," said another.

"Obviously," concluded Marcus, "you do not reek."

Amy smiled. "Thank you."

She took another look at the ancient letter. "Many people have written books about King Richard, why has no one ever come across this letter?"

"A number of reasons," suggested Father Robert, "most people, if they saw it, probably believed the king was insane. I am sure that his brother did not take a second look at it, before concluding that Richard had, undoubtedly, lost his mind in the Arabian deserts. And, if biographers found it, they would not wish to include a letter that they themselves cannot understand or comprehend."

"Or," said Marcus with a sly smile, "perhaps no one ever had the chance to see this letter before it fell into our laps. I think it is the case that John discarded it, it wandered through history, found its way in a book of the old kings, and now is resurfaced."

Father Robert sighed. "Brother Marcus, you have such an imagination."

Marcus sighed and looked at Amy. "Well, Miss Amelia, what are you going to do now that you have read the letter and found your man?"

"I—" Amy began when the door opened and Rory, followed by Mrs. Williams walked into the room.

Amy, quickly, rolled up the letter and put it in her sleeve. Only Marcus saw her action, though he said nothing.

"My mother said," Rory began crossly, "that you had wandered off. Apparently you were going to find the shower."

"Is there a bathroom so that she may clean herself before the wedding?" Mrs. Williams asked the monks and priests.

"Actually," began Father Robert, "we think that—"

"Down the hall, first door on the left," answered Marcus.

Amy shared a look with Marcus.

_What are you doing? Do you want me to marry this man?_

Marcus looked at her kindly.

_Oh Amy, it is better that you act calmly with these people. It is safer that way, if only you knew…_

Amy stood up, careful not to expose the letter to Rory or his mother. "I'll be going then."

Rory walked closer to Amy. His fingers were shaking a bit, as if he was nervous or something. There was also, though not very noticeable until close up, a bit of red on his chin. Amy noticed the same red color in his fingernails.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

He chuckled. "Of course I am sweetheart. Why do you ask?"

Amy pointed to his chin. "You just have a bit of red on your chin."

"Oh," said Rory wiping it away quickly. "Thanks for telling me."

"What is that?" asked Amy.

Rory shook his head. "I'm not sure, maybe it's always been there."

Amy shook her head now. "No it hasn't."

Rory shrugged. "A small cut maybe, nothing to worry about."

Amy looked at Rory. _Amy, how many people do you know, who get cuts on their chin? _

_Not many, but that does not mean it doesn't happen._

_Or…_

Amy smiled at Rory and his mother. "I'll go and find that bathroom now, I think."

"Should I help you dear?" Mrs. Williams asked. Amy eyed the same red on her fingernails as well.

"No Mrs. Williams," said Amy. "Thank you anyway."

She turned around from the library and started walking quickly out when she heard a familiar light cough. She turned back to face the monks, the priests, Rory, and Mrs. Williams.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Amy dear," said Mrs. Williams sighing, "remember, you can call me mother."

"Right," said Amy. "I'll remember that."

Then Amy looked at Rory. "How is John? You two didn't fight did you?"

"Fight?" repeated Rory, "we would never get into a fight, why would you think that?"

"I don't know," said Amy shrugging.

"As it is," said Mrs. Williams. "John decided to leave."

"Leave?" Amy repeated. "He just left."

"I told him he spoke out of turn," said Rory in a kind voice. "He thought I had insulted him or something and practically marched out of the church." He shook his head and muttered, "Some friend."

_Believe it, _thought the creature angrily wishing that he had the desired control over Amy. _Just believe it!_

Amy was beginning to understand how very little she really understood.

"I'm sorry," she said in her sweetest voice. "Do you want me to try to talk to him?"

As she spoke that, a little voice in her head said, _Don't tempt them. For heaven's sake don't bloody tempt them._

_But who am I tempting? What's the danger?_

Rory shook his head. "No. It's alright. We just need each other, and no one else."

"Of course," said Amy. "Well, I'm off now. Cleaning and all that."

She turned around again and walked out of the room. After the door closed behind her she nearly sprinted down the hallway and ran into the bathroom. She took a deep breath and sighed. Amy was feeling horribly nervous and scared. She felt rattled by what she believed and assumed.

Amy sat on the floor in her white dress and unrolled the letter.

She stared at the telephone number.

_07700 900461. Hopefully he hasn't changed it since the 1400's or anything._

Amy took out her cell phone and dialed the number.

She waited for the ring.

* * *

The Doctor waited behind the trees until exactly ten o'clock. He waited until he saw a man leave the house across the street. The Doctor paused to stare at this man who, he believed, was behind some very serious trouble.

It was that nurse, Rory. But, he was obviously no longer a nurse. Now he wore a suit and tie. Also, all of Rory's boyishness that the Doctor had recalled, no longer existed. Instead he saw the face of a very hard man who looked as if he lost a spark of happiness. He looked so angry with everything that he saw.

The Doctor almost jumped when he heard Rory click open the car and start the ignition. Within moments he had sped off into the distance, a dark figure absorbed in the darkness.

The Doctor straightened his bow tie, tried to smooth over the wrinkles in his jacket, and attempted to fix his floppy boyish hair.

He caught himself doing these tasks and shook his head.

_What has become of you? Are you nervous?_

The Doctor sighed and came to the obvious truth.

_Alright yes, I'm nervous. _

He walked across the street slowly and then walked up the front door. He rang the bell.

No answer.

He rang the bell a second time.

No answer.

He ran the bell a third time and heard a shuffling of little feet towards the door. The Doctor smiled when he saw Lizzie opening the door and smiling up at him.

"Hello," he said.

"Hi."

"See?" he said bending down so that they could speak eye to eye. "I told you I'd come back."

Lizzie beamed. "I hoped you would."

The Doctor, still bending down, looked past Lizzie. "Where is your brother?"

"Asleep," said Lizzie.

The Doctor first accepted this, and then a thought crossed his mind.

"Why aren't you two in school now?"

"School?" repeated Lizzie. "No, we don't go to school."

"Don't humans go to school after a certain age?" the Doctor asked. There was something very wrong with this…he just couldn't put his finger on the problem.

Lizzie nodded. "Most do I expect, but we're homeschooled."

"You can do that?" asked the Time Lord.

"I suppose," said the human girl. "Mum teaches us. Sometimes daddy too."

The Doctor stuck his tongue out. "And I suppose he teaches you very good things, your father."

Lizzie shrugged.

"Lizzie," said a soft voice from inside the house. "Who are you talking to?"

"The—" Lizzie began. But then she saw how the Doctor put a finger to his lips and give her a wink.

"Come see," she finished.

The Doctor shook his head at the girl. "No, that is not what I meant," he whispered frantically.

He was a very conflicted Time Lord. He wanted to see Amy, he wanted to see her more than anything else he had ever wanted to see. But, at the same time, at the very same time, he did not want to see her at all. The Doctor, the alien Time Lord who fixed what was wrong, was afraid.

He was afraid of how he would find Amy.

Despite his fears, he heard the sound of footsteps slowly approaching him. He bent his head down so that she could not see his face.

"What are you doing?" Lizzie whispered.

"Shh!" said the Doctor.

"Mum!" Lizzie said with such joy in her heart. "Mummy, look who I found!"

"Who?" asked a soft voice which sounded like honey, like a song, like music to the Doctor's ears. It had been so long, it seemed, since he had heard her voice so close.

The Doctor took a deep breath and looked up at Amy.

The first thing he saw when he met her eyes, was a black and blue mark by her right eye. He remained crouched and noted how she still looked so very young, so similar to the way she looked when he left her. Her hair was a ratty mess that fell around her face in a blur of red. She wore long jeans and a long sleeve shirt. The Doctor assumed that he would see, if she was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, very similar bruises on her arms and legs like the one on her face.

But the Doctor noted how very much her eyes stayed the same. It seemed that her eyes, unlike her husbands, were so full of young and potential happiness. Forest green eyes stared at his own brown eyes searching wordlessly for something.

"Hi Amy," he said in a whisper.

"Hi," she said.

A tiny hand pulled at her jeans. "Mummy it's him! It's really him isn't it? He came back!"

The Doctor stood up slowly to face Amy.

"Lizzie," said Amy looking down at Lizzie and breaking eye contact with the Doctor, "why don't you run along and play with your brother?"

"Oh," groaned the child. "Do I have to? He's asleep anyway."

"Then wake him up," said her mother.

Lizzie sighed as she left the room. "I never get to watch the fun part," she muttered as she walked away.

"Lovely child," commented the Doctor once Lizzie had left. "She is the spitting image of her mother."

Amy crossed her arms. "What are you doing here?"

The Doctor smiled. "I'm not quite sure actually. One minute I'm flying through space and the next minute I'm in a wormhole and the next minute I'm at your door…" His voice trailed off. His eyes wandered to her long sleeves.

"It's a nice day outside," he said.

"Mm," she answered.

"Why don't you wear something less warm?"

Amy sighed. "Mind your own business."

"I'm sorry," said the Doctor, "but you were getting married five minutes ago."

_And just a little girl five minutes before that…_

_Amy what happened to you?_

"Why are you here?" asked Amy.

The Doctor was silent.

"How do I know it's really you?"

The Doctor sighed. "What?"

"A man comes to my door," began Amy, "claims that I knew him from long ago, and…"

"Its real," said the Doctor kindly. "I'm here."

"But you said you were never coming back," said Amy with more tears than anger, "you said that if I ever saw you again, it wouldn't be you!"

The Doctor rubbed his eyes. "I know."

"Tell me something," insisted Amy. "Something that I would know."

"Why?"

"To know that I'm not dreaming this all up, that you are actually standing at my doorway."

"I hate beans," he said. "I hate apples, I hate bacon and eggs. I hate most things fried probably, but then I found the one thing that I really loved. Fish sticks and—"

"Custer," whispered Amy her eyes watery.

She quickly wiped them away. "Did you come back because you want to torment me?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No, of course not."

_I want you to come back with me. I want to save you from this horrible existence. I want to marry you, I love you._

Not that he said any of that aloud to Amy.

In fact he said nothing.

Amy coughed and shivered.

The Doctor blinked. "Are you feeling alright?"

Amy gave the Doctor a sad look. "Maybe you should go. Come back later when I'm feeling a bit better. It'll be time for the children's lesson soon."

The Doctor smiled. "I'll come back for that."

"Why?" asked Amy hoarsely as she continued coughing.

"Firstly," said the Doctor, "because you'll need an assistant to help you. In fact, you might need a tutor for those children."

Amy raised a brow. "Oh?"

"Who do you know, who knows more about things than I?" asked the Doctor.

Amy was silent. She extended her hand to the door.

The Doctor sighed and started to turn away when he heard a small, "Um."

He turned around. "Yes?"

"Come back around twelve," said Amy. "Sit in the back in the beginning, comment only when I get something wrong."

"And then?" asked the Doctor.

"We'll see," said Amy Pond.

The Doctor took out his hand. Amy shook it.

Outside there was a ringing sound. It came from the abandoned telephone box across the street. No one heard it, or even noticed. It was at that precise moment that Amy blinked and lost consciousness. The Doctor swiftly caught her in his arms grief clearly evident on his face.

"Amy," he whispered. "Amy."

_Amy._

_Another ring._

_Amy!_

_Another ring._

_Amy, speak to me!_

The TARDIS continued to ring and ring and ring.

Suddenly the noise was gone, and Amy blinked. "Doctor?"

The Doctor smiled. "Hi."

"You should leave," she said.

"And you should be in bed," said the Doctor. He lifted her in his arms and carried her in the unknown house in search of a bed or something comfortable for her to rest on. He could not have known how close he was to the truth of this visit, and yet, how very far away he was indeed of finding what was wrong with this reality.

**So i tried to distinguish between the two povs better this time! Also, yes i decided to increase rory's possible evilness bad me :) And was able to include my other love for Robin Hood (via king Richard) It could happen guys...believe...please tell me your thoughts, comments, questions anything!**


	6. Chapter 6 The Searching for Freedom

**Hey guys! So I personally like this chap...its a little twisted but so is DW! I've had a few reviews asking me if i've lost faith since Amy's Choice and to that i say no! I like to think of one of the Doctor's quotes "Time can be rewritten" A special thanks to ListeningtotheRadio my new DW friend on ! Anyway please read and review because i'd love to know what you guys think of this!**

**Disclaimer: **

**Dreamlord: "Ask me what happens when you own nothing in the reality?"**

**Me: "What happens?"**

**Dream Lord: "You own nothing stupid, that's why its called reality."**

**Me: Sniff...sniff**

**Chapter Six: The Searching for Freedom**

The girl who waited sighed in frustration. She could still hear the unanswered ringing in her eardrums, mocking her. Then she heard the answering machine of the TARDIS.

"Hello," said the recorded voice that made Amy's heart melt, "you've reached the Doctor's answering machine. It seems that I am unable to answer your phone call, so if your world is ending, please try to call again. However, if there is a less serious matter, please leave me a message and I shall try to get back as soon as possible."

Beep!

Amy blinked.

She thought quickly of what she wanted to say in this message, of which words were best to use in this situation and which words were not best to use. But, instead of thinking logically before she spoke, Amy let her emotions take over.

This is what she should have said, had she thought about the proper words and content.

_Hello Doctor, this is Amy Pond. I suppose you are a bit busy at the moment so let me be brief. Though you said that I should live my life I find that I have developed certain feelings for you that prevent me from all movement. If you want to call me back please call me at…_

But, as previous mentioned, Amy Pond was not in the best mental place at that particular moment. She did not trust that red stuff digging underneath Rory's fingernails, or John's sudden disappearance. And she felt very alone in the little restroom. What's more, hearing the Doctor's voice sent a surge of pain mixed with happiness into Amy's heart. If she could, she would listen to that voice, for hours…for eternity.

Amy actually debated calling the Doctor back a second time.

_Though it is a stupid idea as the world is most certainly not ending! _

_Yes it is! Of course the world is ending!_

_The Earth? Have you noticed it ending? Even a little shake? No._

_My world…my world is ending…_

And, for all these reasons and for more, this is what Amy Pond said:

"Hello Doctor, it's me, Amy. Listen, there's something I need to tell you, something I've been too afraid to tell you. When you left last night I…I realized how very empty my existence was without you. And I know that you've seen all that you've seen, and you've done all that you've done, but that doesn't matter to me! None of that matters to me, I don't mind getting blown into a million pieces, or smashed against some distance moon…as long as you're there, as long as you're the last thing I see before I go."

Amy took a deep breath, didn't think, and continued, "Maybe I'm crazy, maybe I've hit my head against something and I don't know what I'm saying anymore. What I'm trying to say is that…that…I've sort of…sort of—"

There was a banging sound on the other side of the door.

"Amelia dear," Mrs. Williams said on the other side of the door. "Are you alright?"

Without finishing the phone call, Amy closed the phone and covered it with her hand. "Of course, why?"

"You were talking to yourself."

"Oh?"

"Yes," continued Mrs. Williams anxiously, "and Rory wanted me to check on you to see if you needed any help."

Amy looked around the restroom, of course, there was no shower. She was not going to use a shower to wash off whatever "smell" seemed to infest her skin.

She turned on the water in the sink, hoping that somehow, it would fool the woman on the other side of the door.

"I've just started the water," yelled Amy.

"Good," said Mrs. Williams.

Amy sighed. "So," she continued, "too bad about John leaving."

There was a bit of silence on the other side of the door and then an intake of breath followed by, "Oh, yes, quite a pity."

"Especially," continued Amy, increasing the amount of water coming out of the faucet, "since he is one of Rory's best friends."

"He was no longer necessary," replied Mrs. Williams.

Amy raised a brow. "What did you say?"

"No longer necessary to Rory."

"Necessary?" repeated Amy utterly confused. Her gut instincts told her she better run, but there was no way to get out of the restroom, except for the door.

_And there's the other unfortunate bit._

There was always that bit holding her back…

The bit that reminded her that there was nothing really for her to go back to if she left Rory. Besides, she wondered what would happen to her if she disagreed like John had disagreed.

"He needs you," Mrs. Williams said. Though Amy assumed that her future mother-in-law meant that to be a good and positive comment, Amy still shivered.

_He needs you. He needs you. For what exactly?_

Amy tried to laugh as she turned on the hot water faucet as well. "Well not just me, obviously. He needs other friends, and of course his family."

There was another bit of silence on the other side of the door. Amy found herself dearly wishing that the Doctor had picked up his bloody phone.

"Right?" asked Amy when the silence was too much.

"Sorry dear," Mrs. Williams said, "what did you say?"

"He needs other people," repeated Amy, "not just me. Right?"

On other side of the door, Amy could not see how Mrs. Williams' forehead broke into a sweat. She could not see how Mrs. Williams' eyes seemed to glaze over and stare off into space. The creature floated into her mind, just his voice and his command.

_Get her ready. Rory needs to marry her. He needs her._

_He needs her._

And Mrs. Williams, being the weak human doormat, had never asked why. She had never questioned the little boy with the odd look in his eye, who showed up on the doorstep all those years ago. She and her husband had welcomed the child into their lives and did not notice how their love seemed to increase the control of the creature.

Or Master, as the couple called him.

John had questioned, he had made one tiny mistake, and look what happened to him. Mrs. Williams remembered how Rory's gaze seemed to burn into John.

_This one, _said the creature to Rory, to Mr. Williams, to Mrs. Williams, _is disloyal. He must not be allowed to continue on the mission. He is no longer necessary. Mrs. Williams, _the creature tapped into Mrs. Williams' brain directly, _keep the human girl away from what we are about to do._

_Yes master, _was the reply.

A scurry of feet followed, a few hurried assurances here and there to the redheaded girl, and Mrs. Williams shuffled back into the entrance room where John stood nervously surrounded by enemies. Only moments ago he had been like them, like the mindless humans under the creature's control.

But the creature's kind withdrew their control from a victim when the victim was about to be killed.

And, it was in this moment, in this newfound life, and seconds before death, when John got to take a breath of freedom.

John had been Rory's friend since childhood and had followed the mission just like everyone else. He had been told, just as the others were told, that everyone had a part to play.

_To make the world better. _

John had never asked who they were making the world better for?

Mankind?

Probably not.

_To rid the world of filth._

John had never asked who judged what was 'filth,' and what was not. He had never asked what would survive when all was said and done. He had never asked why they were destroying the life of one human girl, and why that would make a difference in the world.

Now John had his moment of free thoughts, after all these years, after all this time.

He knew that they were talking, that they were angry with him. To keep up an outward appearance of order, they kept their voices low, but John could only guess how the creature was curing and swearing in each of their minds.

And he knew, that his time was coming to an end.

John closed his eyes when he heard a familiar hissing in his ear.

He took an intake of breath and waited for the end to catch up to him…

_Peace._

And everyone had helped destroy John in their own way. Rory, some of his friends, and Mr. Williams took the lead. Mrs. Williams watched, unperturbed by the scene in front of her. It was all done in a glorious symphonic silence.

_You must get rid of the body, _the creature told Mrs. Williams.

She did as she was told, like a good little human.

The creature found himself wishing that all humans could be like this, subservient and useful. It was a pity that so many had thoughts of rebellion and treason. It was a shame that so many wished for 'free speech' and 'free choice.'

Didn't they know?

_Nothing in life is free._

Just as Mrs. Williams had been instructed to dispose the body, so was she instructed to ready Amy. Not to worry her, to tell her that everything would be alright.

"Everything is fine dear," said Mrs. Williams kindly.

"Do you mind giving me a minute?" asked Amy. "Privacy and all."

Mrs. Williams did not remember the last time that she had ever been able to have a private moment, or a private thought.

Not that she was complaining.

_You better not be complaining, remember what happened to the last one._

But that part of Mrs. Williams that could still be human, could beam like a human, and grow nervous like a human, did not remember what happened to 'the last one.' Almost as if there had never been a problem with John, and he had truly left.

This same feeling had been installed in everyone else's brain.

_They should do, but should never know._

It was one of those codes that the creature's kind lived by.

You may live in an individual species, and you may control others so that they do what you say. But, they shall never really know what they do.

The creature was a stickler for rules.

"Sure," said Mrs. Williams in reply to Amy's request for privacy. "Don't be too long."

"I won't," Amy said turning both the cold and hot water faucets to their fullest.

Amy waited until she could not hear the sound of Mrs. Williams' heels on the floor and only then did she shut off the water. She let out a sigh and looked at her reflection in the mirror above the sink.

A terrified girl with bright red hair and red cheeks stared back at her.

_Something strange is going on here. _

Her shaking fingers gripped the sides of the pearly white sink for support.

_Think! Think! What should you do?_

Amy looked her reflection in the eye with all the determination she could muster.

_What would the Doctor do?_

She found the corners of her mouth forming into a tiny smile.

_He would tell me to take in my surroundings, everything and anything. He would tell me to see if there was anything I saw that was a little bit off. _

Amy Pond thought of the girl in the white bathrobe moving about Starship UK. It had been her first time as a time traveler and the glory of it all was too much for her eyes. She had felt comfortable with the Doctor guiding her around.

_What's wrong? _The Doctor had asked this as easily as someone asked after the weather.

Amy Pond blinked. _Wrong? _How could anything have been wrong with this? This was amazing; it was nothing like she had ever seen before.

_Come on use your eyes, examine everything._

And it was not that Amy had not, until that moment, been using her eyes. It was that, until that moment, Amy had not been seeing, really seeing. She had not been examining or using her eyes to their fullest potential. It was a human flaw that the Doctor did not tire of pointing out to her. Humans didn't want to see reality, they wanted to see normalcy.

They wanted everything to have a proper order, like the perfect arrangement of utensils on a dining room table.

No one wants to see what lies underneath his fellow man.

She had told him once that he_ looked_ human.

That didn't mean that he necessarily was human, but that he appeared human because she wished to see the normalcy.

Could that mean that, as she stared at her reflection in the mirror, she was avoiding seeing what was really going on around her?

Amy took a breath, she currently had three options.

One: go through with the wedding and act as if nothing is abnormal. This option appeared to be the most logical of the three.

Two: run away. She did not know where to run away to. Perhaps she could start over in another little town in another little life. But, Amy found a truth in this option that she had been scared to admit to herself before.

_If he does come back, he won't be able to find me if I leave. _

So that was what had really been bothering her!

_Have you ever run away from something because you were scared, or because you just could? _

He had looked at her straight in the eye. His face grew serious and his eyes seemed to show all the pasts and futures he had ever experienced. It was only at this moment when she saw him as something very ancient yet…very delicate too.

_Once... a long time ago._

Three: subtly gather clues and solve the problem.

Amy turned away from her reflection and slowly opened the door. She peered down both ends of the hall to make sure that it was completely deserted. When she found that it was, she left the bathroom and started walking down the hall, not really sure of where she was going.

Then she heard the scattered, hushed voices.

"How is she?"

Amy blinked when she heard Rory's voice on the other side of the wall. She pressed her ear to the wall to listen better. She wasn't surprised to hear Rory's voice, just the edge in it.

"Preparing herself," answered Mrs. Williams.

Amy raised a brow at the monotonous tone in her voice. Usually Mrs. Williams had a very sing-song quality to her voice, suddenly that was gone. It felt unusually robotic.

"And John?" asked Rory.

Amy pressed her ear even closer to the wall. But the voices on the other side grew even quieter as if they were not speaking at all. Amy groaned quietly.

_The Doctor is so good at this sneaking thing. Why not me?_

Amy then heard a hissing sound. It was the same sound that she had heard when Rory had been talking to John a little while ago.

Suddenly the hissing ended.

"Do you think," said a low voice that Amy had never heard before, "that she suspects?"

There was silence.

"It is a pity," continued this voice, "that she is not easily disposed of as others are."

More silence. The silence made Amy wonder if the communication was taking place without the need to open up a mouth.

"Remember," said the raspy voice, "remember what I said."

Silence again.

"Why don't you check on Amy, mum?" asked the familiar voice of Rory.

Amy backed away from the wall, startled. The tiny bit of fear that she had felt in the beginning seemed to grow and grow and grow. No longer was this merely about jitters and cold feet. And no longer was this just about her love for the Time Lord she would never see again.

But something much darker than any of that was going on in this church.

So Amelia Jessica Pond did what any human would do consumed with this feeling. Amelia checked to make sure that she still had her phone, and the hidden ancient letter. She then took off her heels and held them. Then, before she even heard Mrs. Williams' footsteps coming close, Amy broke into a run.

* * *

The Doctor's heart raced as he carefully let Amy lie on her bed. She was feverish and her cheeks were inflamed.

"See?" asked a little voice behind him.

The Doctor jumped and turned around to face little Lizzie. "Your mum is—"

Lizzie held up a damp towel. "Put this on her forehead. She likes something cold around this time."

He blinked. "You mean this happens often?"

Lizzie nodded.

The Doctor took the towel from the girl's little hand and put it on Amy's warm forehead. At the Doctor's touch, Amy opened her eyes.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hello," he said.

"I thought it was all in my head," said Amy hoarsely.

The Doctor shook his head. "I'm here."

Amy smiled up at the Doctor, making his stomach ache. "You haven't gone."

The Doctor smiled down at Amy.

Suddenly Amy's smile dropped. "Oh."

"Oh?"

"The children's lesson," Amy said. Then she turned to face Lizzie. "Would you like to have the morning off?"

Lizzie nodded happily.

The Doctor shook his head. "No she shouldn't have the morning off, neither of them should."

"Hmm?" Amy asked.

"Their little," explained the Doctor, "their minds are still growing, still shaping, need to be filled with knowledge otherwise it'll fill with nothing."

Amy gave a little laugh. "I miss your logical conclusions."

"Are you gonna teach us?" asked Lizzie. She seemed happier with this idea than with the prospect of a morning off.

The Doctor nodded. "Unless," he turned back to Amy, "you need me here."

Amy shook her head. "I'll be fine."

"If you need me," said the Doctor as he left the room with Lizzie, "you know where I am."

He saw Amy Pond smiling as he closed the door and walked down the stairs with Lizzie.

"You weren't joking," he told the girl, "when you told me about mum."

Lizzie nodded. "She hasn't smiled this much in a long time."

The Doctor felt a little red creep into his cheeks and turned away from the precocious child.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine," he replied. "Perfectly fine."

"Your face is red," explained Lizzie.

The Doctor shrugged his shoulders. "Faces do that from time to time. Now." He jumped down the last there stairs. "Where shall we begin the lesson?"

It took a little while to set everything up. Andrew and Lizzie took the Doctor to the living room where Amy kept the text books. The Doctor started flipping through the history, science, math, and English books as the children sat themselves in their chairs and got pencils.

He kept muttering, "Wrong…vey wrong…couldn't be more true…yep…nope."

"What are you doing?" Andrew asked.

The Doctor looked up from the history book he was currently holding. "Checking."

"Checking?" repeated the boy.

"Yeah," said the Doctor as he joined the children at the table. He placed the text book on the table so the children could look at it. He turned to a picture of Winston Churchill.

"What's wrong with that?" asked Lizzie.

"Well," said the Doctor, "I knew the man and he looked nothing like that. That's him on a really good day if you ask me. Also it mentions nothing about…about…" The Doctor sighed as he looked at Lizzie, for a minute he thought he was talking to her mother. Her mother would have remembered what history had forgotten. She would have remembered the Daleks. She would have remembered the bomb that nearly destroyed earth.

He smiled at Lizzie and Andrew. "Do you know how many times this world as almost ended?"

Andrew looked at Lizzie, Lizzie looked at Andrew. They both looked at the Doctor.

"Ten?" asked Lizzie.

"Lots?" guessed Andrew.

The Doctor smiled at the young children. "Lots indeed."

"How old are you?" asked Andrew.

"That's not nice," said Lizzie to her brother.

The Doctor shook his head. "It's alright. Andrew," he said facing the boy, "how old do you think I am?"  
"Um," Andrew began looking up at the Doctor. "A lot?"

The Doctor hid a smile. "Guess."

Andrew began to count on his small fingers. "Forty two."

The Doctor raised a brow. "Why?"

"It's the highest I can count," explained the boy.

"My age is a bit higher than that," said the Doctor kindly. "I'm nine hundred and seven years old."

Andrew opened his mouth. "Whoa! Cool!"

Lizzie left the table and started looking through the bookcase. She returned with a small little book and placed it in front of the Doctor. "Where you there for this?"

The Doctor looked at the author and smiled.

"Yeah," he said, "I've visited Willy a couple of times, but you know playwrights, they don't like to be disturbed."

Lizzie shook her head and pointed to the title of the play. "I mean him, did you know him?"

"Henry the fifth?" asked the Doctor. "What's a little girl doing reading about good ol' Hal?"

"Part of the history lesson," said Andrew. "She tells us stories about the old kings and queens in the plays."

The Doctor nodded. "Why not buy a book about them?"

"Daddy says its wasteful to learn so much about the past," said Andrew. "We have a text book of British history from 1900 to now. The rest of history we learn from mummy."

As Andrew spoke, and the Doctor listened, Lizzie started flipping to one particular passage in the book. She tapped it when she found the spot.

The Doctor nodded when he saw it. "Best part."

He stood up on the table, held the book in his hand and began to read the passage proudly.

"'This story shall the good man teach his son; And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by, From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remembered-we few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile, this day shall gentle his condition…'"

Andrew and Lizzie both clapped as the Doctor jumped down from the table and took a bow.

Lizzie raised her hand as the Doctor settled back into his chair.

"Yes?"

"Did he really say all that?" asked Lizzie. "Can you check it?"

The Doctor looked at Lizzie kindly. He remembered the battle that Henry had been faced with all those years ago, though sometimes the memories just like they happened yesterday. The Doctor remembered Henry's nervous and shaking hands in the dawn. He remembered the fear in Henry's eye, it was the same fear in every other man's eye that morning.

_You must give them courage, _he told the young king.

The king sighed. _How will I do that if I cannot even find courage within my own being?_

The Doctor smiled at the king. _Remind me, what day is it today? I get so confused with timelines you know._

Henry raised a brow. _Saint Crispin's day. Why?_

_Start with that, _he told the king, _see where that gets you._

Henry had spoken of the day, he spoke of what the men were fighting for. He spoke of the happy few that were there that day, the band of brothers. And then they had all gone off to fight, and many had died. It was bloody, it was messy, and no amount of pretty speeches can clean up that bloodshed.

"I'll tell you when you are older," said the Doctor to the children.

Sometimes fairytales were easier than the truth.

Sometimes in a dreamlike fairytale you can pretend things that are not so. You can pretend that these are your children, this Lizzie and this Andrew. You can pretend that the woman resting upstairs is your wife, and your dearest love. You can believe that this is just a resting place on the journey, and that when the children get older you all shall time travel together.

You are just waiting for little Lizzie to learn how to ride her bicycle. You are just waiting for Andrew to sleep through an entire night without crying for you to hold him. And, as you hold him in your loving ancient arms and chase his fears away, you chase away your own terrors.

You are just waiting and waiting…

And you are hoping that this dream shall never end. You are hoping that this fairytale lasts for all eternity to the true ending of the world and of time. You are hoping to all who listen and all who will ever listen, that you never wake up.

"Is it bad?" asked Lizzie waking the Doctor from his dream.

"No," answered the Doctor. "Not too bad."

Suddenly there was a noise from outside. Andrew ran to the window and gasped. "Oh."

Lizzie joined him by the window and copied his facial expression.

"What?" asked the Doctor.

"Daddy's home," answered the children together.

"Daddy's home?" the Doctor repeated.

They both nodded.

"I have to leave," said the Doctor not wanting to cause any trouble.

Lizzie shook her head. "Stay. He won't have to know its you."

"He's met me," said the Doctor. "He knows what I look like."

Andrew and Lizzie looked at each other silently. Suddenly they both nodded and raced out of the room.

"Wait!" called the Doctor. He was growing nervous at the sound of the car door closing and the angry feet approaching.

But, before the Doctor could worry too much the children were back. Andrew held a hat in his hand, Lizzie held a large coat and tie in her hand.

The Doctor took the hat from Andrew, and the jacket from Lizzie but he shook his head at the tie.

"I'm fine with the bow tie."

Lizzie shook her head.

"No?" he asked.

"Very few people wear bow ties."

The Doctor sighed and undid the bow tie. He put it in his pocket. He groaned, put the bow tie back on, and just buttoned up the jacket so that it hid the bow tie.

Lizzie shrugged.

"Its fine," said Andrew.

Both children took their seats again as the footsteps grew closer.

"Now," said Lizzie, "you're going to have to have a name."

"A name?" repeated the Doctor.

"A proper name," said Andrew.

"What's a proper name?" asked the Doctor.

"Joe," suggested Lizzie.

"Andrew," suggested Andrew.

"That's your name," said the Doctor with a smile.

But no one could think of a proper name for the Doctor as the door opened and Rory stepped into his house.

"I'M HOME!" he bellowed. "Anyone here!"

"You go," said Lizzie to Andrew, "tell him about our new tutor, check his mood first."

Andrew nodded and sprinted out of the room.

Lizzie turned to the Doctor. "Pick a name."

"Are you always this bossy?" asked the Doctor playfully.

Lizzie shook her head. "Mummy needs you here."

The Doctor sighed as he thought about that.

_She needs you._

Within moments Rory and Andrew approached them. Andrew extended his hand to the Doctor. "Daddy this is our tutor."

Rory sniffed. "Amy didn't mention this to me."

"Just hired me this morning," said the Doctor.

"And you are?" asked Rory.

"Um," said the Doctor.

And as he tried to search for the perfect name, as he tried to stare into the eyes of the man he hated, a girl ran through a church in her bare feet. A redheaded girl fled from her reality into the unknown as the man she loved stared his harsh reality in the face and tried not to spit on it in disgust.

**So we learn more about the creature, we learn about what happened to john, we learn about the Doctor's ability to recite shakespeare (i knew he had it in him) And still all these questions. Tell me what you think should be the doctor's "name"? I know you've got thoughts or ideas and i'm dying to hear them, along with your own thoughts of the chapter! love you all!**


	7. Chapter 7 The Searching for Sanity

**We're hoping for a good episode tonight! hopefully no more of amy yelling "what is the point of you?" and the doctor being o so sad.. In honor of the episode tonight and happiness that it is saturday, i give to you chapter seven! please read review and enjoy! **

**Disclaimer:**

**Amy Pond**: I thought... well, I started to think you just owned nothing.

**Me**: Amy Pond, there's something you better understand about me, 'cause it's important and one day your life may depend on it. I _definitely_ own nothing!

**Chapter Seven: The Search for Sanity**

It was a maze. It was one gigantic maze of hallways and doors.

Or at least, that's how it felt to the fleeing Amy Pond.

It did not help that she had first sprinted in the opposite direction from where she came, then took about three lefts, two rights, and now was utterly lost!

Amy sighed desperately and sunk down to the floor of the hallway. She leaned her head against the wall and took a deep breath.

Had she been running for just minutes, or was it more like hours?

Amy looked at her phone.

"Why don't you call me back?" she yelled, staring at it with bitterness. "What is so important that you don't have time to answer your phone? You fly around in a phone box, you live in a phone box, you sleep in the phone box, and now, the one time you're not in it…" Her voice trailed off and she shook her head.

_You're talking to your phone now? Great…_

Obviously she wasn't talking to her phone. She was talking to him through the phone. She was talking to him through the phone because there was no other way to…to…

Amy missed him and knew that if he were here, if he were with her at this moment, everything would be alright. He would be able to fix this problem with the snap of his fingers. Or, if he couldn't, then at least, he could take her away from all of this hideous loneliness.

But he was not here. The Doctor was not here to fix her problems or to take her away from them. If she was really going to run away from this life, from this marriage, then she was going to figure out what was going on.

She closed her eyes and concentrated.

And she saw him staring back at her.

_Hello, _he said, waving.

Amy, with her eyes still closed, sighed. _I've gone mad haven't I?_

_I'm in your head, _the Doctor explained. _You know I don't actually exist._

_Then why are you talking to me? _Amy asked.

The Doctor shrugged. _Your mind, you figure it out._

_Probably, _she reasoned, _you must help my mind relax, or think clearly._

_Oh Amelia, I feel so used, _he said giving her a smile.

_So, _though Amy getting her mind back on track, _let's see what we know. We know that Rory is not behaving as he usually does. We know that his parents, at least his mother, are also up to something._

_And John's disappearance, _added the Doctor helpfully, _don't forget that._

_I was just getting to that. _

_And I was just helping._

_I wish you were here, _thought the girl bitterly.

The Doctor sighed. _I know you do. You must think Amy. You must see everything. Maybe there is something you missed._

Amy thought about everything she had heard and seen. She thought about the red markings underneath Rory's fingernails, she thought about the supposed 'smell' which only Rory and his mother could smell. Amy remembered how Rory, in general hated rain more than anyone else she had ever known. She then remembered that cold voice.

_Do you think that she suspects?_

_It is a pity that she is not easily disposed of as others are._

Amy shivered. _I'm 'she' aren't I?_

The Time Lord in her mind's eye nodded.

_Something, or someone, wants to get rid of me but can't. _

The Doctor sighed. _Someone wants to use you._

_I'd have known if I had been used, _mused the thoughtful girl. _I think I'd have felt that. Someone wants to use me but doesn't have the option yet. _

_Yes._

Amy inwardly groaned. _I don't understand. What would anyone want with me? I'm nobody important._

The Doctor was quiet.

_You're supposed to be helping me, _she reminded him.

_Letting you think is helpful too._

_You're right, of course you're right._

_I'm always right. _He smiled.

_What happened to letting me think?_

_Obviously you can't get me out of your head._

And then Amy gasped. _I think I got it._

_Do tell._

_Its you, _said Amy. _It has something to do with you. You're the only interesting thing that's ever happened to me._

_Hey, _the Doctor said, _I'm not a thing, I'm a Time Lord. _He straightened his bow tie importantly.

_What do you think? Do you think that makes sense?_

The Doctor scratched his chin thoughtfully. _If it had to do with me, don't you think they'd have come to me? Maybe I am part of it, but clearly this is about you Amy._

Amy now sat in contemplation. She thought about why someone would want her instead of the Doctor. She had to assume that the someone or something was not human, despite the fact that it made her shiver again.

_Don't be afraid, _said the Doctor. _I'm here. Well…not really but you know what I mean._

_You're here because I can't get you out of my mind. But…you came to me the first time not because I prayed for you, but maybe, maybe it was something dragging you to my house all those years ago._

_Like a magnet, _he said.

_Exactly like a magnet. Something that made you crash…_

_What would make my TARDIS crash in front of your home?_

Amy sat up now. She opened her eyes and the Doctor's image was gone. She blinked, not used to the light she found.

"The crack," she whispered. "He came because of the crack in my wall, so did Rory. There's something very wrong about that crack."

She closed her eyes again and found the Doctor waiting for her.

_Took you long enough, _he said.

_I figured it out now though._

_But, _said the Doctor, _does it now all make sense? You still don't know what they want, how you will help them, or how they plan to get into your head. _

_I know, _thought the girl with irritation.

_Why did they get rid of John? _the Doctor asked. _What had he said?_

_He asked me if I had any second thoughts, any cold feet…oh! The wedding! Somehow they will gain control once we are officially married. _

_There's an eternal bind, _said the Doctor nodding, _when two are joined as one. You have too strong a will normally, but there are certain loosenings that occur once marriage takes place._

_Loosenings? _Amy repeated shaking her head.

_That's not a word? Well there is no proper human word for it then. You thought it in the first place as I am in your head._

_True, _thought Amy.

_Amy, _said the Doctor softly, _now that you know what they want, do you really think it is safest to stay anywhere near where they are? This has been fun but you must run, now!_

Amy opened her eyes.

She should have been frightened. She should have been worried about the evils around her, about the fact that aliens wanted to control her and get the crack in her wall. She should have been scared out of her wits.

Instead Amy Pond was determined.

Alright, determined _and_ scared out of her mind.

She stood up, forgetting about her phone next to her. Her thoughts should have been focused on an exit strategy. Instead she was thinking about the "somethings" she had recently believed were human. Perhaps they were not all "somethings." But they were after the same goal weren't they?

Operation get Amy Pond to marry Rory Williams.

And, as John had showed her, they would stop at nearly nothing to complete the operation.

They were ready get rid, perhaps murder, all obstacles in their path.

But…

At that moment Amy heard footsteps. She jumped.

"Amy?" said a voice Amy recognized to be Rory. "Where are you?"

Amy didn't answer. She was silent, instead moving in the opposite direction from the voice.

"Amy!" said the voice of Mr. Williams. "Where have you wandered off to?"

Amy's eyes widened as she tried to run the other way. But she stopped herself, knowing that Rory was nearing that side of the hallway. Amy decided to take her chances with Mr. Williams hoping that somehow he was not involved in the madness that was infesting everyone else and ran towards, and past the direction of his voice.

The minute Amy turned the corner Rory and Mr. Williams found themselves on the same hallway Amy had been in a second ago.

They looked at each other.

"I think I heard her go that way," said Mr. Williams to Rory. "I'll check it out."

"Do," said Rory.

"She can't have gone far," reasoned Mr. Williams as he walked off towards the direction of Amy's footsteps.

Rory was about to join Mr. Williams when his eye glanced an object in the middle of the floor. He bent down and picked it up.

Amy's phone.

The Rory inside Rory smiled upon seeing her phone. He remembered when she got her first cell phone. She was so excited, so happy. He remembered the way her fiery red hair had swayed to and fro…the way her eyes were filled with delight.

The creature was not ready for this trip down memory lane.

_You best check that phone. Make sure she didn't call anyone. If she's trying to run away, she might have done something rash, like call the police._

The creature nearly laughed to himself at the thought. The police were no match for him: a Formian. That was the name of his species, in his mind, the most supreme species on this and every other galaxy.

The Formians were an ancient race of creatures that, like this creature did, take over another species and control it as the Formian willed. The Formians, generally, were able to make all species and beings they encountered, subservient to their will. The Formians normally got what they wanted, it was not in their nature to work this hard.

As it happened they wanted what Amy had: a connection to the crack.

The Formians were scattered on all different planets and galaxies, there were not enough for them all to take over everything. Everyone groups of Formians had been gathering to find some way to take over each planet and then each galaxy. It seemed impossible…until that darling little crack appeared. And it was time, and it was destiny.

_And silence would fall…_

And silence of the races would fall all across everywhere in the galaxy.

And they would all be under the control of the Formians….

But, the Formian inside of Rory's head was getting ahead of himself. There was still much to do before that glorious moment of victory.

_Just open the phone._

Rory opened the phone and checked recent calls.

The Formian groaned when he saw the number just recently dialed.

_07700 900461. Oh bloody hell! She called him!_

She contacted the one alien that could threaten all the Formians' lovely plans! Though of course, the creature knew, if the Doctor had not crashed the TARDIS by that girl's house, the Formians might never have discovered the crack in the first place.

The Formian, though trying to keep a level head about him, was quite furious now. How did she get the Doctor's phone number? How did she escape the humans' watch? Did she know what Rory truly was and therefore had called the horrible Time Lord?

_Why can't they all be dead?_

Rory's finger pressed the recall button and listened to the unanswered ring, the TARDIS' answering message, and the beep following it.

As the Formian waited for all these things to finish so that he could speak, he formulated the purpose of this message. It was to demonstrate who was higher than whom. It was to show which species was more powerful. And it was to taunt, always to taunt, the Time Lord who did not have the little human girl any longer.

"Hello Doctor," said the voice of the Formian. Rory's voice suddenly disappeared and it was replaced by the cold voice of the alien. "Hope you are having a lovely time in your reality. Is the weather nice? Oh, by the way, the time is approaching an end as it was always predicted to do. You know it, but didn't want to admit it to her. You didn't want her to be used for the purpose…or perhaps you do not know. She will soon be under our control and there is nothing you, or your little ship, or your little screwdriver can do about it. Ta-ta."

He hung up the phone.

_Ta-ta? What's wrong with you?_

The Formian did not know what was wrong with him. Maybe it was being in a human for this long.

He hoped not. He hoped he was just having a bad moment. Rory slipped the phone into his pocket. So great was the confidence of the Formian, that he had not ordered Rory to shut it off. Sometimes that sort of confidence is a weakness…

Meanwhile Amy continued running down a hallway.

"Amy!"

Amy stopped and turned to see Mr. Williams.

"Hi," she said catching her breath.

"We've been looking for you,' said Mr. Williams approaching her.

Amy slowly backed away as Mr. Williams grew closer.

"Are you thinking of running off?" Mr. Williams asked. Then he laughed. "My Rory might not be much to look at, but he is a good man, and, more importantly, he needs you."

_He needs you. _

Amy had heard Mrs. Williams use the exact same wording. It was like a mantra.

A very horrible mantra.

"I need some fresh air," insisted the girl.

Mr. Williams shook his head. "It is raining outside."

"I like the rain," countered Amy.

"You should stay dry, Mrs. Williams said that you were taking a shower."

Amy shrugged. "Decided against it."

Mr. Williams sniffed her. "It is your wish to smell horrible."

Amy looked at Mr. Williams. _Water…they hate water…or rain at least._

"You're not going anywhere," said Mr. Williams holding her wrists tightly.

Amy was worried but then she smiled at Mr. Williams. Sure, she might not know why he was doing this. And yes, she did not know what she was being used for, but she knew that she had not been used yet, and therefore invaluable to the secret plan.

"You can't hurt me," said Amy. "Um, he wouldn't like it."

She tried to make that sound very commanding and scary. It seemed to make Mr. Williams blink, open his mouth, but still did not release his hands from her wrists.

"I have no idea what you are talking about. I have to get you to the chapel. I'm to walk you down the aisle."

Amy's stomach jumped.

_This is not going to be good…_

_This is not going to be good, _the Doctor thought as he stared dumbly up at Rory.

"Um," said the Doctor for the second time. "John."

"John?" repeated Rory.

"Smith," finished the Doctor. "I'm John Smith."

Andrew and Lizzie shared a worried look. Daddy was a smart man, he wasn't about to believe that the man sitting before him was John Smith. Could he?

Rory shook the Doctor's hand. "Good to meet you Mr. Smith."

The Doctor shook his head. "John, call me John."

"I'm displeased that Amy didn't tell me that she hired a tutor, she's the one who is supposed to be teaching my children. I mean, what else is she to do all day?" He laughed, assuming that new tutor would join in.

The Time Lord did not even smile. "She's sick," he said with a little too much anger. "Very sick, unable to do anything so much as walk, and you expect her to..." He stopped himself, realizing the deep trouble he was going to find himself in if he continued.

"Who do you think you are?" Rory asked.

"No one," said the Doctor. "Just the tutor."

"Why are you home daddy?" Lizzie asked trying to get the focus off the Doctor.

"Nothing bad happened right?" joined in Andrew.

Rory shook his head. "I need to have a talk with your mother."

"Is it serious?" Lizzie asked.

"Go and learn with your…tutor," said Rory spitting out and dissecting the word 'tutor' as if it was an infernal insect. He left the room and headed up the staircase to the second floor.

"How did she marry someone like him?" the Doctor whispered.

"What?" Lizzie asked.

"Nothing," said the Doctor, "should we continue the lesson?"

"You're going to be our tutor?" asked Andrew. "For real?"

The Doctor nodded. "I suppose so."

The three heard muffled angry conversation from the second floor.

"He's unhappy," said Andrew.

The Doctor pretended nothing was the matter. His thoughts, in fact, were not on the situation with Amy and Rory. Instead he was completely amazed that Rory didn't recognize him at all. He was astounded even. Even people who met him once remembered him, he was a pretty unforgettable character.

_What's going on here?_

He continued the lesson of British history as if nothing was the matter. Soon, however, a pair of feet coming down the stairs stopped him in mid sentence as all three turned to face Rory.

"I've decided to let you stay," said Rory.

The Doctor raised a brow. _You? _

"It will give her time to heal herself, and the children need her." Rory's voice was emotionless as he said it, as if he was not in the least sad that his wife was ill. As if he felt nothing, saw nothing, was, therefore, nothing. And that, along with everything here, chilled the Doctor.

"Can he stay here daddy?" asked Lizzie.

The Doctor turned to face the little girl. "What?"

"What?" asked Rory.

"He doesn't have anywhere to go," added Andrew.

"Is that true?" Rory asked curiously crossing his arms.

The Doctor did not answer.

"I asked Amy where you came from," said Rory, "she didn't give me a straight answer either. I suppose she just found you on the street then," he sniffed, "she would, insufferable girl."

"So can he stay?" asked Lizzie.

Rory looked the Doctor in the eye. "Mr. Smith, you may stay in the guest room if you wish."

"But…" began the Doctor.

"It is settled," said Rory taking his briefcase in hand. "I'm off again. Goodbye children."

And he left them all as he had found them.

And the Doctor looked at the children.

"I have a ship you know, I cannot stay here."

"But you must," insisted Lizzie.

The Doctor looked at the girl curiously. "I must?"

"For mummy," she reminded him. "How can you cure her if you're gone?"

"I need to get my things from my ship if you expect me to stay," said the Doctor beginning to stand up.

Lizzie shook her head. "We can get your things for you."

"It is a big ship," said the Doctor. "You might get lost."

"There are two of us," said the boy standing up with his sister, "we can manage."

Before the Doctor could stop them, the two of them were off and out of the door. Instead of the Doctor going out to supervise them, he raced up the flight of stairs to check on Amy.

He knocked on the door. "Its me."

"Come in," said a soft voice.

He opened the door and stepped inside to sit by her. "Hello."

"Hi," said Amy in a quiet voice.

"Rory doesn't remember me," said the Doctor.

Amy said nothing. "Evidently you did not leave an impression on him when you came to visit."

"I'll be staying here for some time," said the Doctor.

"The children often get what they want," said Amy smiling.

"And what about you?" he asked looking into her eyes.

"And what about me?"

"Do you get what you want?" he asked kindly.

As they talked together as softly as two breezes the children walked to the TARDIS. They jumped inside and began rummaging around the inside. Lizzie was the first to notice the flashing red button. There were two new messages on the answering machine.

Lizzie looked at Andrew and pointed to the flashing red light.

Andrew nodded. "Good thing we didn't let him in."

"The important thing is that he stays," said the girl, "that he believes he can win."

"Do we delete the message?" asked the boy.

His sister shook her head. "He will never find it anyway. We must leave now."

The two children, carrying what they believed the Doctor would need, stepped out of the TARDIS and walked back to their house.

Though the TARDIS was only a ship it felt pain too, it felt sadness. It saw what the children had done, and heard what the children had said. And if it could, it would surely have wept for the Doctor. And if it could, it would surely have prayed that the Doctor would soon understand what he could not.

**Sooo the creature is called a Formian...the kids are slightly evilish...please tell me your thoughts? feelings? hopes? Guys i write more and better with your imput know that! love you all!**


	8. Chapter 8 The Understanding of Nothing

**Hey all, I'm back. Its been a busy week for me: I've been doing stage crew for my school's musical. I also made a video on youtube! Check it out if you want. .com/watch?v=LnIkkCfynK0 I've also been reading an amazing book called "The World According to Garp" by John Irving. So that's what i've been up to hence the lack of updates of chapters...But here is this one! yay!**

**Note: The POVs are as follows Amy - Rory - Amy - the Doctor - then sort of back to Amy (just so no ones confused)**

**Disclaimer: **

**The Doctor**: The writing... the graffiti: Old High Gallifreyan. The lost language of the Time Lords. There were days, there were many days, where these words could burn stars, raise up empires, and topple gods.

**Me**: What does it say?

**The Doctor**: You own nothing

**Chapter Eight: The Understanding of Nothing**

"Do you know what they want to use me for?" asked the girl in the white dress.

The father of the groom did not meet her eyes. He continued to walk her towards the chapel.

Amy attempted a smile. It was better to smile in the face this, whatever this was. "Fine, don't tell me."

Mr. Williams sniffed.

"So," said Amy casually, "did Rory kill John by himself, or did you and the others help him?"

Mr. Williams chuckled, but did not stop walking. "What a funny thing to say."

"Funny or not," said Amy, "it's the truth."

Mr. Williams sighed. "You were always a strange little girl. What a wild imagination."

"Perhaps you don't remember it," said Amy looking at Mr. Williams, "maybe they shut off your memory to that. They can be sneaky that way."

The really scary thing was that Amy, though she did not know it, was partly right. Certain parts of Mr. Williams' memory had been tampered with and altered. But, that was to be expected under the control of a Formian.

* * *

Black shoes paced back and forth on the altar. His hands were behind his back as he paced and paced and paced in frustration. Her phone was still in his jacket pocket, hitting the top of his leg with each change of direction.

"She'll be here soon dear," said Mrs. Williams calmly.

Father Robert, holding onto his copy of the Bible, nodded silently. Only a little while ago, when Robert had arrived in the chapel, the Formian in Rory set to work taking control of him as well. The Formian was able to pick out the particularly weak minded members of the human race and bend them to his will.

Robert had entered the chapel, shook Mrs. Williams' hand, and then shook Rory's hand. It was that contact, the touching of palms that provided the link the Formian required to take over the priest's mind.

_There will be no trouble in this ceremony. You will preside over its entirety simply and orderly. Nothing will go wrong, nothing will be out of the ordinary. _

_Yes, Master._

_He needs her. He needs to marry her._

_Yes, Master._

_Remember that he needs her, and you will go to any and all lengths to see that through._

_Yes, my master. _

Rory smiled at the priest and broke off the handshake. "Nice to meet you Father Robert."

"Likewise," said the priest, wondering what exactly had just happened.

And now Rory had taken to pacing back and forth amidst a room full of guests. Some of these guests were also under the control of the Formian, but he left many as normal human beings for the sake of appearances. Besides, though he knew his power was considerable, it could not extend past a certain point.

Not yet at least.

Not without the silence and ending of all things that lay waiting on the other side of the crack.

The Formian could not use the girl the way he could use the other humans, he needed to take full control of her the way he had control of Rory. And that sort of bond had to be established through something has boundless as marriage. It was a practice that was recognized on all planets and stars and galaxies and universes.

It was a lock that couldn't be broken.

Once the Formian possessed Amy, Rory would have to be dealt with. For his entire life, he had been under the Formian's power. Part of his existence was tied to the Formian, without that source it was not likely that Rory would survive. There was a great big world out there, and Rory had never truly faced it alone.

Not that the Formian felt guilty about disposing of Rory. Besides, the Formian knew, soon Rory would be under his control again, like all the humans on this tiny little world. Soon, the Formian knew, all the species would submit to him and his kind rather than live in the engulfing silence that was gaining on them.

Species claimed that they wanted to be independent of others that were not like them. Individuals wanted to have freedoms and space and uniqueness.

But at what cost?

At eternal night?

Constant silence?

No one wants to be alone forever. And the Formian knew that a human would rather have a something to follow, than walk alone. And, if one human was that weak, imagine how weak six billion humans would be? Imagine how weak the other beings would be?

No one wants to be the last of his kind.

The Formians had seen many races come and go, fading, almost vanishing into the night.

These races died together, as one, because it was better than being alone.

_Except…_

The Formian in Rory felt like hissing at this thought.

_Except for that infernal Doctor!_

* * *

"Do you remember when Rory was born?"Amy asked Mr. Williams.

She was trying to piece everything that she did not understand together.

Mr. Williams started to nod and then stopped.

"What hospital was he born in?"

"I don't remember," Mr. Williams answered.

Of course he did not remember. He did not remember because he was not there for the birth of Rory Williams. Mrs. Williams had not been present for the birth of her son either. He had shown up on their doorstep, a little infant gazing up at them.

The link between the Formian and the Williams had formed the moment Mrs. Williams picked up little Rory.

The rest is simply history…

"We found him," said Mr. Williams, finding the memories in the hidden corners of his mind. "We cared for him, we raised him, but we do not know who his real parents are."

Amy stopped walking, hoping that Mr. Williams would follow suit. "He's adopted?"

But Mr. Williams pulled her along. "We've had Rory for so long, he is more our son than he is anyone else's."

They both heard a rumble of thunder.

Mr. Williams shuddered.

"What's wrong?" Amy asked.

Mr. Williams sniffed. "Thunder."

"You don't like the sound?"

Mr. Williams shook his head. "I hate what it brings."

Amy knew the answer, but said the wrong one instead. "Lightning?"

"Rain," answered Mr. Williams.

"That's funny," said Amy. "Because—"

Mr. Williams stopped her. "There is nothing _funny_ about rain, young lady."

Amy coughed nervously. "I just meant that Rory hates rain too. Won't let a drop get on him."

"He's always hated it."

"So do you, and so does Mrs. Williams," said Amy.

"No one likes rain," said Mr. Williams shrugging off Amy's comment.

"I do," Amy mumbled.

They were silent for a time.

Amy asked, "Did Rory tell you what he's planned for our honeymoon?"

Mr. Williams shook his head. All he knew of this was, as the voice in his head put it, _He needs her._

Mr. Williams had no knowledge after the priest said "You may kiss the bride" because the Formian had given him no further instructions. It was as if Mr. Williams' entire life, and the life of his wife, had been leading them both up to this very moment. They knew nothing beyond this day, and, if they stopped to dwell on that, it probably would have frightened them.

As it happened, they did not think about it, so it did not frighten them.

But it proved the Formian's theory that humans would rather have their lives planned out for them, than be alone to make their own choices.

_What a weak race, _mused the Formian in Rory. _And to think, the Doctor actually cares for this horrid species. _

* * *

"It won't take long will it?" Rory asked the priest. "The ceremony, I mean."

Father Robert looked kindly into Rory's eyes. "I shall begin the ceremony by welcoming the congregation. Then perhaps I shall read a few passages from the gospels, and then the rings. You have the rings don't you?"

Rory nodded. "And then?"

"Man and wife," said Robert.

Rory sighed. He was nervous, as was the Formian inside of him.

_Relax, _whispered the Formian, _this is a happy day for you._

He did not mention to Rory that this was probably going to be his last day to feel anything, happiness or otherwise. The Formian did not have high hopes for Rory's survival on his own. The Formian decided he would not kill Rory after he was no longer necessary. There was no need—Rory would not be alive for too long after all was said and done.

_You will finally get the love of your life, _said the Formian kindly.

Rory brightened and stopped his pacing.

Then he turned and saw his father and bride entering the chapel. He smiled at her, Amy, the girl he believed he loved more than his own life. Amy tried to smile back at him as she and Mr. Williams slowly walked down the aisle.

Amy's heart was beating loudly like an angry yet terrified drum.

She was so alone, so terribly and horribly alone.

_Doctor, Doctor! I miss you. _

_And I…I…_

_You what?_

_I love you._

_Oh wow. _

Amy blinked. She was still walking towards Rory, but she felt that she was moving without really moving.

She walked past faces she did not see, and smiles she did not feel. She walked past cameras flashing and capturing images of her to be kept forever. She walked past tearful eyes and overused tissues. Then suddenly she felt Mr. Williams let go of her wrist leaving her alone to walk up the two steps to stand in front of Rory.

Amy noted that there was music playing in the room. But she didn't hear it. She just saw the violinist moving the bow through the strings rhythmically. But she heard no sound.

At this moment Amy felt nothing at all.

"Dearly beloved," began Father Robert, "we are gathered here today to celebrate—"

"Stop!" yelled a voice in the back.

All heads turned to face Brother Marcus standing in the back of the chapel. He was holding a cross in his right hand.

* * *

A pile of belongings was dumped on the guest bedroom. The Doctor jumped at the sound of the sudden noise, then, seeing what it was, he smiled at the children who had returned from the TARDIS with his things.

"This is all that we thought you'd need," said Andrew looking up at the Doctor.

The Doctor smiled down at Andrew. "Thank you."

"Are we going to continue the lesson?" asked Lizzie.

"If you like," said the Doctor.

"Can we ask mummy to come to the lesson?" asked Andrew. He looked quickly at his sister and then back at the Doctor.

The Doctor noticed the exchange between the brother and sister but said nothing.

"It might make her feel better," said Lizzie sweetly looking up into the Doctor's eyes.

The Doctor bent down to look at Lizzie eye to eye. "And why do you think that?"

Lizzie shrugged. "To see you again, to see you teach us. And you promised remember?"

The Doctor nodded. "Go get your mother, we shall have the lesson in my room."

The children smiled and ran out of the room, leaving the Doctor alone to his thoughts. As he began to fold and put away the clothing and belongings the children and brought, he thought. The Time Lord thought and thought about everything he had seen and experienced.

It was all very odd. The quiet street in the quiet town. The lack of people he had seen outside. Rory had not known who he was. The children did not want him to go out to the TARDIS. Amy was getting worse and worse. The children thought he could heal her.

This world was created to torment him. He was beginning to see that. Someone had put that wormhole in space for a reason, for the Doctor to fall in specifically. Something terrible must be happening somewhere for a creature to take the time to construct the Doctor's personal hell.

But…the Doctor stopped at that.

The children seemed so real. They smiled, giggled, blinked, and surely cried when they were sad. And Rory looked the same as he had when the Doctor met him the first time. Sure the boyishness was gone, and he smiled less, but he was still the same Rory.

And Amy…

Amy was just as beautiful and graceful as the Doctor knew she was. She was just like his angel, and, what's more, she seemed to respond to him. She seemed to care for him in a way that he always hoped that she would. But she was trapped in this timeless and cruel existence she could not break free from.

That's what it had to be, the Doctor thought.

Everything was fake, everything was a façade, but Amy, surely Amy, was the bright light in this dark world.

All she needed was someone to save her from this life. She needed him to bring her back to her real time.

And then everything would be alright.

_It has to be…_

"Are you alright?"

He jumped again at the familiar voice behind him. He turned to see Amy and the children looking at him strangely.

"I'm fine," he assured them, gazing at Amy. "I'm alright. Please sit." He guided Amy to the bed so that she could sit down comfortably. He felt how weak and fragile she was, as he gently set her down on his bed. The children ran to the bed as well to sit on either side of their mother.

"Now," said the Doctor, "where were we?"

"You were telling us about King Henry," said Andrew.

"Ah," nodded the Doctor. "Of course. He was a good friend of mine. Though he didn't always listen to me."

"Why not?" asked Amy.

The timeless Time Lord gazed at his angel. "He thought he could go out and do what he liked. He thought he was so big and brave that he could conquer all that he saw and all that he dreamed of."

"But he did," said Amy. "He conquered much of France."

The Doctor nodded somberly. "And lost it too."

"What would you have advised him to do?" asked Amy.

"Told him to keep and care for what he had," said the Doctor softly. "I would have told him to love and protect England above all else, because the tiny island, though she is very strong, is very vulnerable and fragile too."

Amy smiled kindly at her old friend. "I think he would have taken that advice, had he the sense to listen."

"Perhaps," said the Doctor, "but he was an ambitious king."

"Tell us another story!" said Andrew brightly.

The Doctor was about to when he saw Lizzie give her brother a look causing him to be silent.

"Its fine," said Andrew, "you can keep telling us this."

He shook his head. "You're the students, you decide what we discuss."

"King Richard!" shouted Andrew with excitement.

"Sh!" insisted Amy to her son, kissing his forehead. "I have a bit of a headache."

"Oh," whispered Andrew, "sorry."

"Is that alright with you?" the Doctor asked Lizzie.

She nodded silently.

"He was a good king," said the Doctor. "Maybe he didn't always have the heart of a lion, but he was a good man, strong, proud, and noble. I only visited him once, and it was not a social visit. I had to help him…" The Doctor stopped talking at that moment and got very silent.

This was a memory that no one had counted on. The children, with their careful planning, had not known it. The Formians, creating the wormhole, had not believed it was possible the Doctor should bring that memory to the surface.

And so the Doctor started to remember about that race of creatures he had fought against to protect King Richard. He remembered that they had been difficult to track, always taking over unsuspecting human bodies and commanding them to do as they willed. He remembered that they had an awesome power in the deserts of the Holy Land that even the Doctor did not completely understand.

He thought he had killed all of them that day. But now he remembered seeing one silvery mist float away from his grasp.

And the Time Lord recalled that these creatures could manipulate aspects of time and space.

They could probably create wormholes.

The Doctor blinked and looked at his audience. He smiled at them, keeping up this façade as long as possible. He had to think a bit more before acting.

But the Doctor, as any creature, had a weakness.

A weakness named Amy Pond.

The Doctor gazed into her eyes. He saw such potential for life in them, and such hope for a future that she could not hold. He would help her hold onto it, he would bring her back to life. The Doctor believed that the children and Rory were both against him, so he would have to deal with that. When he had healed her, and convinced her that she would be safe with him, he would take her from this hell.

He would fix the TARDIS, he would get her in it, and then they would…they would…would…

_What?_

The Doctor smiled at the girl who made his heart melt.

_Be together for as long as forever allowed._

He had not yet wrapped his head around the possibility that she too, his dear Amy, was also not real. He could not begin to fathom that the girl who smiled up at him, was a piece of the puzzle that the Doctor had almost put together. She couldn't leave with him, she was part this nightmare that had been made for the Doctor personally.

But he also did not know that there were forces trying to help the Doctor fix the real reality. One such force, the only force in fact, was the man standing at the back of the chapel holding a cross to protect himself against the evil he sensed around him.

Brother Marcus laughed at the gazes he was met with.

He looked at Rory and knew there was something eating the boy inside.

And Brother Marcus was in a very interesting position of strength.

He was old, his wife died, and he had no children to care for. His parents had died, and his friends were slowly dying too. In short, Brother Marcus did not have much to live for.

To make things even simpler to understand Brother Marcus, as he stared into his enemy's eyes, knew that he had nothing to live for.

And he had nothing to lose.

For this moment there was no hint of an oncoming silence.

At this moment…at this moment…

It was the next moment that brought on the fears.

**What do you think? Please id love to hear comments notes suggestions!**


	9. Chapter 9 The Understanding of Prayer

**I know its been a while. three weeks maybe? LIfes been pretty busy, y'all know how it goes. Hopefully some of you still wanna see how this goes, how it all plays out. I watched "Amy's choice" for the second time today and i just got newley inspired (yay). I think this is a pretty good chap and heres hoping you agree! please tell me what you think: read review and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: **

**Angel Bob**: Doctor? Excuse me, hello, Doctor? Angel Bob here, sir.

**The Doctor**: Ah, there you are, Angel Bob. How's life? Sorry, bad subject.

**Angel Bob**: The Angels are wondering what you hope to own.

**The Doctor**: Own? We're not owning anything. We're just hanging, it's nice in here: consoles; comfy chairs; a forest... how's things with you?

**Chapter Nine: The Understanding of Prayer**

"Stop the wedding!" Brother Marcus yelled for the second time.

Amy took a sharp intake of breath when she saw Brother Marcus standing across the room with determination on his face. She wondered if he knew what was going on, knew more than he let on. After all how could he have found that letter the Doctor wrote?

"What is the meaning of this?" Rory asked angrily turning to face Brother Marcus. He left Amy and started walking down the aisle. As if they were so called, Mr. and Mrs. Williams, along with Father Robert walked behind Rory towards Brother Marcus.

Amy expected that Brother Marcus would retreat, or run, or something.

He remained standing as the angered faces approached him.

Marcus took a very deep breath and waited until Rory was standing before him, with a menacing look.

"I—" began Marcus.

Father Robert suddenly shook his head.

The voice inside Father Robert said, _Make this conversation take place in another room. Be polite about it, let no one here suspect a thing._

Father Robert smiled at Marcus. "Let us have this conversation in a private room." He turned to face the people sitting and Amy, still standing at the altar. "Please stay where you are, we shall be back shortly."

Amy started to walk down. "Are you sure that—"

Rory held up his hand. "No darling, we will only be a moment. Stay where you are please."

And then, like one giant force, Rory, Mr. Williams, Mrs. Williams, Father Robert, and Brother Marcus all left the sanctuary together.

When they were in a private room, and Mr. Williams shut the door, Brother Marcus started to laugh.

He laughed for fear, for the fear of being in a quiet room with unknown enemies and no way out. But the laughter gave him some hope. Because he could still smile, and he could still think for himself, and he could still be free.

No one could take that away from him, not even some alien.

"What is so funny?" Mrs. Williams asked.

"Everything," said Marcus simply.

"Marcus," said Robert kindly, "calm yourself."

Marcus smiled and shook his head. "They got to you too, didn't they? Well, you were always a bit weak Robert."

The Formian in Rory was displeased. And when the Formian was displeased bad things happened.

"What are you, priest?" Rory asked Marcus.

Marcus crossed his arms. "I should ask you the same question, boy." He looked into Rory's eyes suddenly, and gave young man a little grin. "Is there still some human left in you?"

The human inside of Rory suddenly felt very guilty at that moment. The human inside of Rory wished that he could confess everything to the priest that he did not understand. He wished he could tell the priest how sometimes his head seemed to stab him with pain. He wished he could tell the priest about the voice in his head that he knew was more than a voice. He wished he could tell the priest how sometimes he dazed off and seemed to watch his life in a trance.

Rory wished he could speak, but he was silent.

Soon, the Formian knew, all the humans would be silent.

"No," answered the Formian in Rory, "the boy is under my command. And what about you?"

"It is my business what I am," replied Marcus. He looked at Mr. Williams and Mrs. Williams. "The boy's parents as well?"

Rory shrugged. "Did you expect less? If they had been kept as they were, they would have started asking questions, wondering what the human boy was up to."

"Why not me?"

Rory sniffed. "My kind senses out the weaklings in a group before we are close to them. I could see the barriers in your mind all the way from the other side of the room. Besides, too much effort."

"Why waste your time on the girl?" Marcus asked.

"She has something that we want," Rory said, "and if you had any sense about you, creature, you would leave this planet as soon as possible. Find your own, or one far away from this one."

"Why is that?"

"We are going to be taking control of this galaxy for the rest of time."

"Oh," said Marcus calmly, "I see."

Now Marcus was trying to act very calmly, but inside he was terrified. He was completely human, despite what the Formian believed. Marcus knew what he knew, because he had been reading letters, like the Doctor's, for many years. He had a way of finding the secrets inside seemingly normal messages and occurrences.

He had a way of seeing the truth underneath the lies.

And, whether he knew it or not, he worried the Formian.

Well, the Formian wasn't worried so much as vexed that the wedding was delayed, again.

"So if you wouldn't mind," said Rory with the Formian's voice.

Marcus shook his head. "I can't let you do that. I won't let you do that. I don't know why that girl is necessary to your plans, but I know that your plans must never happen."

The Formian sighed and tried again to break into Marcus' mind. He found, for the second time, that it was locked. The Formian was either dealing with a very intelligent human, or a superior life form. He guessed that he was dealing with the second.

When the Formian was thinking, he switched off Rory so that the boy was, for a moment, with his own thoughts. The Formian had serious thinking to do, and he did not want the human's thoughts to disrupt him. He doubted that Marcus, whatever he was, would do anything drastic to the human boy. As he was trying to figure out what to do with Marcus, Marcus was trying to deal with the situation the only way he knew how.

"Sit for a minute," said Marcus to Rory.

Rory sat down on a chair and Marcus sat on one across from him.

Rory felt that he was suddenly waking from a dream.

"How are you?" Marcus asked.

Rory shrugged.

Marcus looked up at Rory's parents, who were standing by the door, with their backs to Marcus and Rory.

"How are you parents doing?"

Rory shrugged again. "They're fine." He paused. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Why don't you want me to marry Amy?"

Marcus paused, realizing that he had a window of opportunity. He had, perhaps a moment, where Rory would be lucid and understand what was going on. He knew that, in that moment, he could tell Rory the truth. He could tell Rory about the creature inside of him and how it was infesting him. He could tell Rory what would happen if he married Amy, and how the world would never be the same again.

He could tell the boy _everything_.

But Marcus looked into Rory's eyes. And he saw that Rory was still a boy.

"I thought that you should…um," Marcus began, "have one last confession."

Rory blinked. "Confession?"

"Yeah," said Marcus, "why not?"

"Okay."

"Do you have anything to confess?" Marcus asked.

"Well," Rory began, "I suppose."

"Tell me then, anything you wish to say."

"I feel like I did something horrible," said Rory looking into Marcus' eyes. "I'm not sure what it was, or why I did it. But I know that it was something recent, and something very bad. Every time I try to remember…well…it's like my mind closes off that memory and I think of nothing. It is sort of the same feeling you get the morning of a hangover. You know?"

"I once did," said Marcus with a smile. "But I confess, I have not gotten drunk for some years."

"Oh," said Rory, turning red, "right, sorry."

Marcus shook his head. "Don't worry about it Rory, go on if you like. When did you realize that you did something wrong?"

Rory showed Marcus his fingernails. "Do you see that?"

Marcus stared at red stained fingernails. He looked at Rory. "The red?"

Rory nodded. "And my friend, John, is missing."

"Maybe he just left," suggested Marcus.

Rory sighed and looked down at his fingernails. He remembered that angry voice in his head, and his friend John's smiling face. And then, then, when he tried to remember what he did…

Rory groaned and covered his face with his blood-stained hands.

"Just try to remember," said Marcus gently.

And so Rory tried to remember. He tried to remember how the voice in his head had told him that John was bad…or maybe evil. John would have ruined the wedding; he would have ruined Rory's chance for happiness with Amy. And didn't he want to be happy? And didn't he need Amy?

_Amy._

It had something to do with Amy. With needing to marry Amy, with needing Amy in general. And, as Rory tried to open his mind to the human memories that the Formian had tried to remove, he saw her in his mind's eye.

And then he saw John. He saw John's bright face turn in terror, as Mr. Williams approached him. But Rory saw himself approach John too. He saw teeth that were not his own suddenly dive at John and…and…

Rory felt hot tears in his eyes at that moment.

And the water awoke the Formian from his thoughts. The water in Rory's eyes pained him, but awoke him too. And he saw what was going on, he saw what had been going on. So he did what any Formian would do: he blocked Rory's thoughts and looked into Marcus' eyes.

"Fool," he spat.

Marcus saw the teeth first. He saw the giant teeth, that were almost like fangs, suddenly spring from Rory's mouth. And then he saw Mr. Williams fly to Rory's side, with eyes full of anger and malice.

It was then that Marcus fell to his knees and began to pray.

Amy's first instinct was to bolt at that moment.

But, as she looked into the crowd, she could not be sure how many were also under the control of a alien being. If she ran, how many would automatically jump from their seats to chase her? It seemed that even the priest had not had his own thoughts, who was safe then?

She was not safe, she knew that.

Amy was quite scared.

So, instead of filling her mind with fears and possibly dreadful endings, she thought of the Doctor.

She wondered what he was doing, right now, at this moment.

She wanted to believe that he had heard her message, and that he was on his way right now. And any minute, any second, any millisecond, the telephone box would appear at the aisle and the Doctor would come out. And he would be smiling his reassuring smile that she loved more than anything.

And he would destroy whatever evil alien was inside Rory and Mr. Williams.

_And then…_

What?

_He'd take me in his arms and tell me that he loved me. That he needed me, that without me he'd have no reason to go on living._

But Amy Pond knew that she was not living in a world where such things happened. True, she was living in a world where aliens could take over the body of her fiancé, and magical men in phone boxes could show her the universe. There was a difference, and Amy knew it. There was a difference between the reality of fighting a Dalek, and the reality of falling in love with a mere human.

_He would leave, _Amy realized, _he would right everything, and then he would leave._

Amy knew that it was best for the Doctor to have left her. It was the_ right _thing to do. It was the _expected_ thing to do. It was what the Doctor _should_ have done.

He didn't want her. He clearly did not have the time for a human.

A man who seemed to have all the time in the world, for whom time, might as well have stood still, had no patience for a time bound girl.

As these thoughts and feelings muddled her already muddled mind, she saw Mrs. Williams walk back into the sanctuary.

Amy began walking towards her, until she saw Mrs. Williams hold up her hand to stop her.

Mrs. Williams continued walking to Amy in silence. When she stood in front of Amy, she gave her future daughter-in-law a big smile.

"Is everything alright?" Amy whispered.

Mrs. Williams nodded. Amy noted how automatic the nod was…

"What happened?" Amy asked in a hushed voice. "Do I need to go in there?"

Mrs. Williams looked up at Amy. She sighed. "Everything is fine dear, no need to worry."

Amy narrowed her eyes. There was always a reason to worry, and nothing was ever as fine as people said. The sort of people who said things were fine, were often the ones causing the worry. At least, that was the case for Amy.

All her life it seemed, she had accepted what others said.

She had accepted the crack in her wall, she had accepted the Doctor's arrival, then the Doctor's disappearance. She had accepted that psychiatrists said the Doctor was her imaginary friend. She had accepted the Doctor's reappearance, the universe he showed her, and his departure. And she had accepted Rory's ring.

Amy was through with accepting things.

"Tell me the truth," said Amy harshly.

The voice inside Mrs. Williams' head spoke to her, _You are not dealing with the girl properly. Despite what you claim, she is growing suspicious. I hope that you can handle this._

"I am telling you the truth," replied Mrs. Williams with a hint of nervous laughter.

Amy sighed and shook her head. She looked at the guests in the crowd. "I hope you will all excuse me. I have something I need to see in the other room. Feel free to get out of your seats, stretch or something." Amy ran past Mrs. Williams gaping mouth, and out the double doors of the sanctuary.

Outside she could hear the hissing she had heard earlier before John had left.

She followed the hissing and whispered sounds until she reached a closed door.

Amy was surprised to find it unlocked.

She carefully opened it and peeked inside. She saw Rory, Mr. Williams, and Father Robert all standing over Brother Marcus, who was on his knees with his eyes closed.

No one turned to face her when she entered except for Brother Marcus. He gave her a pleading look and closed his eyes again.

"Rory?" Amy asked.

"Amelia," replied Rory without turning around. Though Rory had spoken the words, the voice was nothing like Rory's. It was a voice she had only heard a few times before come out of Rory, the last time was when he had been talking to his parents about John. "I was wondering when you would be arriving," Rory continued without looking her way, "it surprises me that it took you the time it did to see what we were up to."

Amy tried to put on the bravest face she could. She had to help Brother Marcus, and delay whatever horrible ending they had in mind for him. "You need to tell me the truth."

Rory smirked. "The truth?"

"As in the opposite of a lie," said Amy sarcastically.

Rory shook his head. "Humans, always wanting to know _everything._ All the things that they were never entitled to know. And you want the truth you say?"

"I just told you that didn't, I?" Amy asked bravely, though she was beginning to wonder why she had wandered into this room, instead of finding the nearest exit.

Rory turned around and showed the fangs that had made Brother Marcus gasp a little while ago.

Amy gulped.

"Poor little human girl," said Rory. He then burst into a fit of laughter as he approached the redheaded girl in the white wedding dress.

The timeless time traveler sat alone on the bed in his bedroom. The day had fallen into night's clutches and stars had begun to show their glowing faces. All the day it seemed, the Doctor had told the children and Amy stories of the past and present. Though little Andrew had begged for tales of the future, the Doctor would not speak of it.

He told them it was because he would not say what he saw, for then some things would come true and some things would not. But he did not speak of the future for other reasons, reasons he did not want to tell the humans about.

He was watching the future now: Amy's future.

And he would not let it happen, he would not let it keep on happening. Not if he could help it.

Perhaps this entire world was a figment of his worst imaginings. But he could get lost in a world like this, and never surface.

The Doctor knew a Greek man, of long ago, who had gotten lost at sea.

This man, an old warrior, had displeased his gods and had a cursed sea voyage. During this voyage he battled mythical creatures and monsters of all shapes and sizes. His skill, as well as his mind was tested over the course of the long years at sea.

_Odysseus._

The Doctor remembered too, that the hero Odysseus also had to face down a witch named Calypso. She was a beautiful woman who lured Odysseus to stay on her island for years and years. Even though he had a wife waiting for him at home, Odysseus, under the spell of Calypso, remained a captive. Only with the help of the gods, was Odysseus finally released and allowed to start his journey back home.

The Doctor laughed.

_I wonder what made me think of that._

This world, this reality, was Calypso's reality, taking him in and holding him captive forever and ever.

The Time Lord stood up and walked towards the window. Across the street he spied his abandoned TARDIS.

Eventually, even Odysseus found a way off the island.

And the Doctor would too. He would…he would…and he could…

For her.

Amy.

She must have been trapped in this world, there was no other way…no other option than that.

The Doctor climbed out of the window and grasped the tree outside of the window. Very slowly, very carefully, he began to climb down the tree using the branches as hand and foot holds. He reached the bottom, brushed himself off, and ran quietly across the darkened street to his TARDIS.

Despite his situation, despite being trapped as he was, he could not help beaming at his ship. He hated to be apart from it for long. Every time he returned to it from one of his adventures, he felt so safe on it, so secure. He might have been the last of his kind, but she, his TARDIS, was always there.

Always there waiting for him.

How many living beings could say the same? They always grew up and got wrinkles on their faces. They wanted to stop living in their imaginations with the time traveling Doctor, and live real lives.

_And one day, _thought the Doctor bitterly as he jumped into the TARDIS to start repairs, _Amy will…_

The Doctor shook his head. He would not let himself think that. No. Not ever.

It was at that moment, as he was arguing with himself, that he noticed the blinking red button. He raised a brow and pushed it, wondering who would have left him a message.

His mouth dropped when he heard a very familiar voice.

_"Hello Doctor, it's me, Amy. Listen, there's something I need to tell you, something I've been too afraid to tell you. When you left last night I…I realized how very empty my existence was without you. And I know that you've seen all that you've seen, and you've done all that you've done, but that doesn't matter to me!"_

The ancient Time Lord was surprised to feel a tear roll down his cheek.

_"None of that matters to me, I don't mind getting blown into a million pieces, or smashed against some distance moon…as long as you're there, as long as you're the last thing I see before I go. Maybe I'm crazy, maybe I've hit my head against something and I don't know what I'm saying anymore. What I'm trying to say is that…that…I've sort of…sort of—"_

The message ended.

"NO!" yelled the Doctor a bit too loudly.

But before he had any time to consider what he had just heard, another voice rang through his ears.

_Hello Doctor,_ the voice began.

"No," the Doctor whispered shaking his head. "Please, no."

_Hope you are having a lovely time in your reality. Is the weather nice? Oh, by the way, the time is approaching an end as it was always predicted to do. You know it, but didn't want to admit it to her. You didn't want her to be used for the purpose…or perhaps you do not know. She will soon be under our control and there is nothing you, or your little ship, or your little screwdriver can do about it. Ta-ta._

The message ended.

The Doctor held onto the controls of his crying TARDIS and lowered his head in a mixture of shame and defeat. "What have I done?"

He hit the TARDIS angrily.

Someone had pulled him into this world, someone who did not want him to fix things. And this someone, or something, _knew_ about the silence. It knew about the silence and wanted it to happen, was trying to get _Amy_ to cause it to happen.

_And she'll get hurt, because of you. Because of your selfishness._

The Doctor started fixing the TARDIS with all full speed and diligence.

Time was running out. For the first time, for the Doctor, time seemed to be racing against him and winning. Soon the silence would fall, if he did not fix the TARDIS and bring Amy back…

He stopped his tweaking and turning of gears and sighed.

_What if I am not supposed to bring her back with me?_

The Doctor took a deep breath and slowly put everything out of his mind. He took out the broken TARDIS that needing fixing. He erased the image of Rory's dark looks, and Amy's dark scars. He tore out the smiles and hopeful eyes of Andrew and Lizzie.

He closed his eyes and saw her in his mind. She was so beautiful and graceful, like a perfect angel. She was wearing a white dress that shimmered and shone as she walked. For, in the Doctor's mind, she was walking. Amy was walking into a dark room, only lit by a few scare lights.

She stood before a group of people, one of whom the Doctor recognized as Rory, though Rory did not look like himself. His teeth were far too large for his head and…there was something else.

Something in Rory's eyes…

And now, the Doctor saw, Rory and the two other men, one a priest, stood around a kneeling man, also of the clergy, who looked in prayer.

Rory began to approach Amy, smiling those fangs of his…

The Doctor saw Amy's face turn into one of complete and utter horror.

_You didn't want her to be used for the purpose…or perhaps you do not know. She will soon be under our control and there is nothing you, or your little ship, or your little screwdriver can do about it._

"Doctor?" asked a small voice.

The Doctor turned around and saw little Lizzie standing in her pajamas, standing across from him in the TARDIS.

He tried to smile.

He tried to smile but his heart was pounding. He tried to smile but his head was pounding. He tried to smile but the world was colliding. He tried to smile though the world was ending. He tried to smile though the pieces were muddled. He tried to smile while his heart was breaking.

"What are you doing here?" Lizzie asked.

The Doctor said nothing. He found that he couldn't really speak, he couldn't really move. If he took a breath, surely tears would follow. And he could not move, because he was weak, so weak, in the knee.

"Doctor?" Lizzie repeated, this time with more urgency and less concern.

The Doctor tried to take a step towards her, and fell to his knees. His position mimicked that of the clergyman he had seen in his mind. The Time Lord wondered about that man's fate…with those sort of beings…

His eyes locked onto Lizzie's. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," replied Lizzie sweetly. She smiled at the Doctor.

"Are you trying to kill me?" he gasped. "You put me in this world, this reality, and then you show me another one?"

Lizzie cocked her head to the side. As she did so, her red hair fell over most over her face so that the Doctor could only see her eyes. They were bright green, and remained fixed on the Doctor.

"Poor old man," giggled Lizzie. "Spins around and around in a phone box. For his whole life, in one little phone box. He thinks he fixes things, broken things, and then he wipes his hands and goes back into the box."

Lizzie skipped towards the pained hero who did not move.

"The Doctor heals everyone and everything," continued the child. "Not himself. Never himself. For nine hundred and seven years he thinks of the rest of the galaxy before himself." Lizzie stopped for a minute, bent down on her knees in front of the Doctor so that they looked at each other eye to eye.

"And then one day, a little girl with shining red hair, and green eyes, crashed into his life. It is not the first time that he takes companions aboard his little box, but he hopes, though he does not breathe a word of it to anyone, that this companion shall be the last. He hopes that she will not leave his flying box of imagination and daydreams."

Lizzie started laughing then. It rang like a pendulum, in the Doctor's ears.

"You are trying to kill me," said the Doctor in pain.

Lizzie shook her head. She took the Doctor's hand. "Leave the broken box for a minute Time Lord, someone wants to talk to you."

The Doctor suddenly felt that he could breathe again when he touched the little girl's hand. He followed her out of the TARDIS and into the abandoned street. He gasped when he saw who stood before him.

"Amy?" the Doctor gasped.

Amy stood before him. She looked even worse and sicker than before. She had more bruises, and she looked even more pale and thinner than she had hours before. Her hair was a knotted mess of tangles.

Lizzie let go of the Doctor's hand and ran to stand beside her mother.

"Doctor," Amy whispered quietly. She sounded like a child, like a frightened child.

The Doctor took an intake of breath.

Everything was turning, and twisting, and confusing. He had seen a reality, and yet he lived in another. He had heard two messages, clearly taking place in another reality. It was in that reality that an Amy stood in a white dress, standing down the Doctor's dreaded enemy.

But in this reality Amy stood in a white bathrobe staring at him with all the love and longing he had ever wanted her to have. It was all that he ever wanted but so far beyond his reach.

So the Doctor fell to his knees in front of Amy and her daughter. He closed his eyes and he tried to take out the world from his thoughts. He tried again, to see a path that was not easily set out.

He closed his mind to everything until he saw a clear image.

Blood stained a white wedding dress.

_Doctor! Doctor! _

_**UH OH! what's gonna happen? Please review and tell me what you think!**_


	10. Chapter 10 The Understanding of a Choice

**Yep she's back. I was a bit busy with life hence the absence. But I've found happiness in Amy/Eleven again thus the writing. I wrote this chap while listening to "Elephant in the Room" by Richard Walters. ooo soo good. Please read, review and enjoy! Note: The break between lines means a POV switch "_"**

**Disclaimer: **

**Amy**: Shall I run and get the manual?

**The Doctor/Me**: I threw it in a supernova.

**Amy**: You threw the manual in a supernova? Why?

**The Doctor/Me**: Because I own nothing! Now stop talking to me when I'm cross!

**Chapter Ten: The Understanding of a Choice**

Blood.

All that Amy could see was blood. It stained her dress, the floor, hands and fingers. It stained the body of the only man who had tried to stand up for her.

He was lying on the floor, soaking, bathing, in his own blood.

"Stop!" commanded Rory. He held up a dripping red hand to stop his parents, and Father Robert from the attack.

Amy watched Rory approach the fallen priest and curse in a language she had never heard before.

"A human," he spat. "Just a human!" He stood up now and faced his audience.

"How could you just kill him?" Amy yelled. "He was innocent, he did nothing!"

Rory turned towards Amy, bearing his teeth. "You don't understand anything. He knew. He seemed to know it all. He seemed more than human, and it was necessary that he died. You cannot see the big picture."

Amy backed away. "Big picture?"

"There is always a big picture," answered Rory.

Amy said nothing.

"You are the key to controlling the universe," said the raspy voice inside Rory.

Amy blinked.

Rory turned to Father Robert. "Marry us now! Then it all can begin!"

Father Robert shook his head. "Master, it will not be recognized. You, yourself, know that. A marriage needs a contract, witnesses, and rings. If I marry the two of you in this room, nothing will change."

Rory sighed. "I know!"

He turned to the priest. "Go back into the other room and get the guests back in their seats. Tell them we will start shortly."

"What should we do with the girl, master?" asked Mrs. Williams approaching Amy's side.

Rory looked Amy up and down. "Just a bit of blood, she'll be fine." He met her eyes darkly. "Aren't you afraid, human?"

It was in that moment that time seemed to freeze. Amy stared from one murderer to another; she stared at the lifeless body. She stared at her own shaking hands, and the ruined white dress she wore.

And it was in that moment of time when she knew, for certain, she was not afraid.

For she had seen things that no human had ever seen before. She had seen dangerous monsters, and felt narrow escapes. She knew what fear was, how terror felt, and a dark and twisted pain for the lonely.

_He _had stood beside her through everything. He had shown her how to survive, and how to really live. He had given her a gift which no one else had ever shared with her. He gave her the world. He gave her a chance to travel beyond it too.

And he was now making her strong in the face of her horror.

"No," replied Amy Pond simply.

Rory blinked. "No?"

Amy nodded.

Rory gave a laugh which sounded very much like a cackle. "I know why you are not afraid."

"You do?"

Rory touched her cheek gently. Amy flinched and Rory's hands fiercely held her wrists. "I could kill you right now, before you blinked. I could torture you to the brink of death. I could make your puny little heart stop beating in less than a second." He shook his head. "Yet none of it would frighten you. And all of it should."

He dropped her wrists.

"_He_ is not coming back," said the voice slyly.

"Who?" Amy asked innocently. Her heartbeat quickened.

"Foolish girl," he said, "you know who I am talking about! The man you called the Doctor!"

Amy was silent.

"He will never come back to save you. He will never come back, he is trapped." Rory smiled, though it was not a smile of happiness, but of triumph.

Amy shook her head. "No, no, that's not possible. He's the Doctor! He can see past anything."

Rory gave another cackle. "I know, my kind have fought him long before you were born. He can see past everything and everyone. He knows that water should move on a starship, and that cracks shouldn't exist in the walls of little girls."

Amy opened her mouth. "How do you know about that?"

Rory shrugged. "You'll find I know much more than I say. But where was I?"

"He can see past everything and everyone."

"Right!" said Rory clapping his hands. "So, he sees past all sorts of disguises and façades. And then something happens to him. He meets someone who he cannot see past, who he does not want to see past."

"Who?"

Rory smiled. "And he knows that it is dangerous for him to be around this someone. It is dangerous for both of them, so he leaves. He leaves and says he will never return. But how long is he gone before his thoughts turn to this someone? How long do you think?"

Amy shook her head. "I don't believe you."

"So he decides he's going to come back. Well we can't have that. Not when we've finally got him to leave this someone alone for five minutes."

"It doesn't matter whether you've set a trap for him," Amy said to keep herself breathing. "It doesn't matter because he's smarter, way smarter, than you give him credit for. He's brilliant. And—"

Sharp laughter cut her off. It almost cut through her heart as well. Rory clapped his hands, sending splatters of blood flying around the room.

"Do you love him?"

Red crept onto her cheeks. "What?"

Rory put his hands on his hips. "You do, don't you?"

"No," she replied sharply to the alien. "Of course not."

"Look at you," he said, pointing his finger at her, "defending him, jumping to his rescue. And he's not even here! He's not coming back to save you Amy! You brought him to his downfall, and he will not rise up again."

"Me?" Amy shook her head. She found tears were beginning to fill her eyes. "You're lying."

Rory didn't seem to hear her. "You destroyed him Amy, my kind just locked the door and hid the key. And all this while…you loved him!"

"Stop saying that!" yelled Amy.

Rory walked up to her and held her face in his hands. He looked into her mind and tried, desperately tried, to bend her mind to serve him. But he could not. The Formian had been trying for years and years to put the girl under his control. When he found he could not, he sought to fulfill the legal bond that forms between two creatures.

The Formian hissed. "What is keeping you from me?"

Amy was silent.

Rory sighed. "After we are married, I shall have you under my full control. Shall I tell you what we will do for our…um…honeymoon?"

Amy bit her lip.

"We shall go back to that broken down house of yours, Amy Pond. And we will go to your room and take a good, long, look at that crack of yours."

Amy opened her mouth and then closed it.

"Silence is coming," said Rory kindly, caressing Amy's cheek with his index finger. "Darkness is going to fall on the race of man. Darkness is going to envelop and devour many races in many worlds. The Formians shall rule over it all, and we will have you to thank Amelia."

"What did you do to him?" Amy asked in a harsh whisper. "Where is he!"

Rory sighed with boredom. "I have just told you about the ending of the world as you know it, and you ask after him! An alien! A dead man!"

Amy's heart shattered. "Dead?"

Rory shrugged. "Or as good as dead. Him and this man's body I'm in now."

Amy felt a lump in her throat. "Rory!"

Rory nodded. "All in good time. All in good time." He let go of Amy's face and turned to his parents and Father Robert. "Mr. Williams, Father Robert, and I will go out there and get the wedding started again." He turned to his mother. "Mrs. Williams, you will stay with the girl, make sure she does not run off."

Without a word, Father Robert, Mr. Williams, and Rory left the room.

Mrs. Williams stood next to Amy. She smiled. "Amy dear, aren't you excited for your wedding?"

Amy stared at the woman who was under the full control of another being. She stared at a lady who did not possess her own thoughts, who was not fully aware of her own actions. She did not really know how her hands had torn life from a body. She did not really know anything anymore.

_So this is what I'm to turn into, _Amy thought.

Amy sat down on the floor and closed her eyes. In the darkness she closed out her mind to the brutality she had witness. In the darkness behind her eyes, she closed out her thoughts of the future waiting for her on the other side of the door. In the black sanctuary behind her eyelids she thought of her Doctor. She thought of her trapped, and possibly frightened, Doctor.

It was in this state of mind that Amy saw him. He was kneeling on the floor of his TARDIS. Two women stood over him, smiles on their faces. One was a girl with bright red hair, she could be no more than nine or ten years old. And the other woman, Amy saw, also had bright red hair and bright green eyes like her own.

The Doctor looked so weak kneeling before them.

_Doctor! Doctor! Doctor! _Amy shouted silently.

And then, she saw the Doctor blink and open his mouth. His eyes grew wide with wonder, terror, and confusion. Amy realized that the Doctor turned his head and looked right at her. He looked at her as if she was standing before him. As if he could reach out and touch her.

_Amy? _A quiet gasp of breath mixed with hope.

* * *

The vision of the girl in the white wedding dress disappeared as the Doctor turned towards her. He took a sharp intake of breath and cursed.

"You said a bad word," taunted Lizzie.

The Doctor looked back at Lizzie and Amy. "Why am I here?"

"You are getting a second chance," said Lizzie kindly.

"Second chance?" repeated the Time Lord. "At what?"

Amy knelt on her knees in front of the Doctor. She took her hands in his and smiled. "At the life you want."

* * *

A frown began to form on Amy's face. Her eyes were still shut as she watched the scene unfold. She did not understand why she saw herself and a young child talking to the Doctor. But she knew that it was no good, whatever it was.

It reeked of the evil alien's plan.

Amy took a deep breath, and cried, _Come back to me, come back!_

As Amy sat on the floor, hugging her knees, Mrs. Williams watched her from a little ways away. If she had been in her right mind, she might have approached the girl and inquired what was wrong. If she had been in her right mind she would have put a hand on the girl's shivering shoulder and spoken kind words to her.

If she had been in her right mind…

But Mrs. Williams had not had her own mind for a long time, and she was not about to start thinking for herself.

As long as the girl was not running away, there was no cause for alarm.

Amy was indeed shaking. It took all of her strength to scream without actually raising her voice.

_Come back!_

* * *

"At the life I want?" the Doctor asked her cautiously. "But I have a life, I can't just change lives."

"Are you sure about that?" asked Lizzie, still standing over Amy and the Doctor. "What was that saying you have?"

"Time can be rewritten," he replied slowly, looking at Amy all the while.

The Doctor closed his eyes and sighed. He started to wonder if he could simply be in this life. He started to wonder if there was something to the phrase he always spoke with such certainty.

But his thoughts were blocked by a scream. _Come back!_

In the darkness of his mind he saw a beautiful redheaded girl. Her eyes were tightly closed and she was shivering. His chest tugged, to think that she was so cold and alone. He saw a body next to her, and felt like shivering himself.

_Amy? Amy is that you?_

He saw a smile stretch across the bride's mouth. _You heard me. _

_Amy…_he sighed. _Amy, I…where are you? Why is there a body next to you?_

The smile faded suddenly. Her face grew serious. _Things have happened since you left. Lots of bad and confusing things. _

_Are…are…_The Time Lord began to ask a troubling question. _Are you alright? _

Suddenly he felt a touch on his shoulder. He opened his eyes in his confusion and the bloodstained Amy faded gently from his vision like a breeze. The Doctor found himself looking into the other Amy's eyes. The glow was bright, strong, and loving.

"Don't you want a life with me?" she asked him sweetly.

"Um," answered the Doctor, utterly confused. "Uh."

Lizzie giggled. "Don't you want us, me and Andrew, as your own children?"

The Doctor bit his lip. "Well, I…"

Amy held his face gently in her hands. She stroked his cheek softly, lightly, like a feather.

"Don't you want me?" she asked in a whisper.

* * *

She groaned to herself, so as not to startle Mrs. Williams.

They were good, those aliens. They were very good. They had even confused the Doctor! Her Doctor!

What had Rory told her?

_You have destroyed the Doctor._

The girl behind her mind's eye looked like her. An awful lot like her. And the child, the child could have been her too. Or been her child at least. Had the evil creature used her to trap the Doctor? She shook her head. Silly idea. How could she ever take down someone as strong as the Doctor?

He was a Time Lord. The last Time Lord ever. He had been everywhere, and done everything imaginable. He had fought evil, and stood up for justice. He did not age but just changed his body so that he could be forever young.

What was she, a little human girl, to someone like him?

_No, you look Time Lord. We came first._

And now he was last. He was very last and very alone.

* * *

"There are two of you," he said breathlessly.

The Doctor tried to stand on his feet, but he wobbled and shook. It was only Amy's arms that held him and then brought him back down again. "What are you talking about?"

He held up two fingers. "Two of you. Two Amys. One here, and one there. Why are there two?"

Amy laughed kindly and shook her head. Her red hair touched his cheek lightly. "Silly, how could there be two of me?"

The Doctor said nothing. He was thinking. He was thinking hard. He saw an Amy standing in front of him, lulling him gently. And there was another Amy, surrounded in darkness, calling out to him. Which one did he listen to? Which was the real one?

He closed his eyes again. He smiled at the Amy in the white dress. _There are two of you. Why are there two of you?_

_I don't know, _answered the girl quietly. _You're the Doctor, you're supposed to understand things like time and space._

_I'm working on it._

_You need to come back, _she said quietly. _Terrible things are going to happen to earth, and other planets, if you don't come back._

Then the Doctor remembered the second message. He remembered hearing the Formian's voice speaking of the silence. The oncoming silence.

_Are you scared? _He wished that he could take her into his arms and hold her. He wished that he could protect her from all the evils in the world and all the worlds in the galaxy. He wished that he could whisper into her ear that all would be well. That he would take care of everything so she would not shiver so. He wished so desperately that he could touch her cheek, brush away the tears from her eyes.

_No, _insisted his angel in white. _I'm not scared._

_You are so brave, _he assured her kindly. _Brave Amy Pond. _

_You need to come back, _she pleaded.

"Stay," implored a soft voice in his eardrum. The Time Lord knew that the Amy, kneeling in front of him, was whispering to him. He would not open his eyes, he would not. He would not let this vision leave him the way he had let her go before.

"Stay with me," said the seductive voice.

_You need to leave, _cried the other.

"We can be together forever."

_Everything will end. Everything will be lost. _

"We can raise the children, be a family, you've always wanted to be a family."

_Doctor, _whispered the shaking angel, _Doctor, its Rory. He's acting strangely. There's something in him, eating away at him. He and his parents have killed two men already. Anything to keep the wedding going…_

The Doctor opened his mouth. He turned towards the vision he saw, though his eyes were still closed. He felt the other Amy's touch leave him as he turned.

_You aren't married? _

_No._

_You didn't marry him yet? _

_Doctor, _said the girl, _he's going to use me to end the world. Something about the crack in my wall. He can only control me after we are married, and legally bound to one another. _

He felt like screaming. He felt like shouting in rage and anger.

_Amy, _he whispered softly, _Amy I'm coming. I'm coming as soon as I can._

_How soon?_

He gave her half a smile. _I promise you will not have to wait anymore. Be your brilliant self until I get there. _

_But you are coming? _He saw how the angel's face lit up at the thought.

And maybe, he let himself believe maybe there was some hope yet. Perhaps, when everything was over, perhaps he still had a chance. Maybe she wouldn't mind living her days with someone like him. Maybe she wouldn't mind binding herself to him, to the last Time Lord.

Maybe…

_Amy, _began the Doctor, _Amy I…_

_Doctor! Doctor! He's coming! _Amy's body was shaking again. He heard a far off knocking, and the squeaking of the door as it opened. He heard muffed voices, and a pair of heels approach Amy. An old woman bent down to Amy to take her arm.

The Doctor saw the woman's eyes, and the way she stood and he remembered an enemy of old. He remembered how the enemy's prisoners, captives, walked and the way their eyes shone differently.

_Formians._

_Doctor! I'm sorry!_

She was gone then. Just gone.

The Doctor opened his eyes and saw Amy, taking his arm and helping him to his feet.

She kissed him softly on the mouth. "Stay with me, be with me forever."

It was in this moment that the Doctor had to choose. He had to choose between the trouble brewing across his mind's eye, and the simplicity of the life he was being offered in front of his eyes. He had to choose between the girl in the bloody wedding dress, and the girl in the battered bathrobe.

It was true what Lizzie and her mother had said: the Doctor did want a simple life. He did want children, and a wife. He did want the beauty of uncontrolled time. He wanted a life where he grew grey with the woman he loved.

He looked into Amy's eyes and saw that she was willing to give herself to him. She was willing to raise her adorable children with him. She was willing to grow old with him in this timeless paradise and live happily ever after. He could be in this dream for eternity and just forget about the horrors in the darkness of his thoughts.

But he could not forget the girl he saw in the wedding dress. He could not forget how very Amy-like she was. He could not forget the wave of happiness he had felt, seeing her. As if he had not seen her for many years. It was a jolt of electricity that he had not felt upon seeing the Amy in this reality.

Time could be rewritten. But…

The time traveler looked at Amy. And he remembered.

"What about Rory?" he asked her. "What about your husband?"

Amy smiled. "Don't worry about him."

The Doctor backed away from her. "He's the father of your children."

"They don't mind changing fathers," Amy turned to face her daughter, "do you mind Lizzie?"

Lizzie shook her head.

"Where will he go?" he asked.

Amy gestured to the TARDIS. "Just put him on this, push some buttons, and he'll be gone for good."

"Or you could kill him," suggested Lizzie.

The Doctor had a light bulb moment. "Did you just call the TARDIS a thing? Did you just assume that I would put a harmless man on my ship? Did you just assume that I would kill him?"

Amy shrugged. "I thought you love me."

"Well…"

"I thought you loved Lizzie, and little Andrew."

"I…"

"I thought you loved this life."

The Doctor heard the girl in the darkness calling for him. Though he could not see her, he knew that she was still there, still hoping that he would come home to her. He had promised her he would come. For it was she he had given his heart to, and not the Amy standing before him. For it was she who he would cross galaxies to save and save again. For it was she who knew his first love was the TARDIS, and how he hated killing any man.

For it was the girl in the bloodstained wedding dress, who was his Amy.

_I never got to tell you that I love you. _

"I'm leaving," said the Doctor coldly to the two demons, keeping him from his angel. "Get off my ship."

"I don't think so," said Amy, whose words too turned dark.

Behind Amy and Lizzie stood Rory and Andrew. Andrew was holding two longs sticks, one of which he threw to Lizzie. Rory was holding a gun in his hand.

"You could have done this the easy way," said Lizzie in a sing-song voice. "But you made the wrong choice."

The Doctor should have been afraid. He should have been scared.

_Are you scared? _

_No._

He had forgotten to ask her why she was not afraid.

The Doctor smiled. "I made the right choice."

Darkness was beginning to fall.

**WHOA INTENSE! thoughts? comments? suggestions? **


	11. Chapter 11 The Beauty of Knowing

**It's been awhile. Its summer, i have no excuse. except that i've been a bit busy and distracted from one of my favorite couples. I've missed writing for these two very much and i hope that many of you will continue to read this story now that i have returned again (yay) shout out to the 100 + reviews i've gotten thank you all you've been brilliant readers and helpers in this fic that turned into something else. Please continue to read, review, and enjoy**

**Note: there's one part where amy's and the doctor's povs jump back and forth quickly (just think of it like you're watching a movie or something...it sorta works)**

**disclaimer:**

******ME/The Doctor**: Rory, listen to that.

******Rory**: Er, what? All I can hear is...you own nothing

******ME/The Doctor**: Exactly.

**Chapter 11 **

**The Beauty of Knowing**

Music began to play. A mixture of flutes and violins spread their voices across the chapel and into every open ear. Smiles broadened on the guests' faces as they stood up to see the bride walking down the aisle. None of them seemed to notice the mounting tension and anxiety upon the girl's entrance. None of them seemed to notice the bits of blood on the wedding dress.

And no one noticed the tears in her bright green eyes as she walked closer and closer to Rory's side.

And yet, even though the fate of humanity was crashing to the ground with every step Amy Pond took, she felt a slight spark of hope in her chest.

She had spoken to_ him. _

Somehow, through some mystical, almost magical, way, she had been able to speak to him through her thoughts. And it hadn't really mattered that she told him about the world ending. And it hadn't really mattered that he kept disappearing and reappearing. None of that had mattered.

She had heard his voice. A melody she had longed to hear as if it was her oxygen and only chance at a full life.

He had told her to be brave, so she would be brave. He had told her to be strong, so she would be strong.

He had told her to be her brilliant self.

And so she would try to be…

"I'm glad you're going to be my daughter," whispered Mrs. Williams in Amy's ear.

Amy turned to look at Mrs. Williams. There was a genuine smile on the woman's wrinkled face. It was as if she truly was everything that she seemed to be. It was as if she had not helped murder a harmless man in a church. It was as if her hands were not stained with death and blood.

It was as if everything was perfectly normal.

"Rory loves you so much," she continued happily. "And you are so good for him."

Amy sighed. "And he _needs_ me, I know."

Mrs. Williams nodded and then took a good look at the young woman whose arm she held. "I do hope everything is alright."

Amy nodded.

"It's just," Mrs. Williams whispered, "well, you are walking rather slowly, dear."

It took Amy a moment to realize that, indeed, she was walking rather slowly towards Rory and Father Robert. No one, except Mrs. Williams could notice, but it was still true.

"Oh," said Amy. "I suppose I am."

"Maybe you should walk a little faster," suggested Mrs. Williams, keeping her voice low.

"Well," said Amy, thinking quickly, "this is how my mother walked on her wedding day, to my father."

"Oh."

"Yes," lied Amy, "and well, they're both gone and will never get to see my wedding. This way, I can keep them with me a bit, like they're in my soul, helping me."

A small smile spread across Mrs. Williams lips. "How sweet dear. Would you like me to walk in that pace with you?"

Amy smiled now. "I was hoping you would."

Both women then, walked slowly, almost painfully slowly, for the anxious groom waiting for his bride.

Rory sighed under his breath. The Formian was anything but pleased. This was the second time he tried to marry the human girl. The first time had been rudely interrupted by that stupid priest, and now, now at the rate she was walking…

_This is going to take forever!_

He wanted to grab her arm and force her down the aisle. But, what was the point? She would eventually reach his side, and the ceremony would begin. And then she would be his, under his control, finally after all this time.

The ending of the world and the rise of the Formians could afford to wait a little longer.

Amy closed her eyes briefly, wondering if _he_ was on the other side of her eyelids.

_Amy! _

Her heart beat faster. She was surprised that the entire room did not hear its drumming.

_Doctor, you're…_

_I'm in a bit of a situation, _he said quietly. Amy could see dark figures turning on her Doctor. They were holding weapons and approaching him slowly. Their rhythmic footsteps, moving closer and closer to the Time Lord.

_Her_ Time Lord.

_What's going on?_

_I'm having a bit of difficulty fighting off the creatures from my alternate reality. It'll just take a moment._

_Are you alright? _Amy bit her lip.

_I'd be more worried about you at the moment, _he replied. It seemed as if he was trying to defend himself with his screwdriver and a large broom. Amy took a sharp intake of breath.

A silence filled as they both seemed to look at one another through the darkness behind their eyes. The Doctor smiled at her, giving her his usual grin as if everything was at it should be. As if nothing horrible was about to happen.

_You need to stay alive, _he said quietly.

_You need to stay alive too, _she pointed out.

The Doctor's image faded from her mind as she opened her eyes and looked at Rory.

_For me, _she had forgotten to say. _You need to stay alive for me._

_

* * *

_

_For me, _he had forgotten to say, as he opened his eyes. _You need to stay alive, for me._

"So," he said, walking backwards at the oncoming family. "Ever heard the joke about the Time Lord and the ghosts of his future?"

"No," said Lizzie darkly.

The Doctor sighed. "You should, it's rather a good one. It goes something like this."

At that moment he stopped backing up and ran towards his enemies full speed. As he ran he took a deep breath of air, letting his lungs fill up with oxygen. He smiled and thought the same thing over and over and over again.

_None of you are real. None of you are real. None of you are real. None of you are real._

He ran smack into Rory and fell on his back. He stared up at the four angry faces. He tried to chuckle, but it came out as more of a whimper.

"Odd," he said, standing up. "That should have worked."

"What were you trying to do?" asked Andrew.

"I can't tell you," said the Doctor. "It ruins the secret."

He tried to sound secretive and mysterious but, inside, he was filled with worry and fear. He knew that this was not real. He knew that none of them were real. Yet, they were physically there. They could hurt him, could kill him.

He looked into Amy's eyes and still saw traces of sadness. Part of his heart unwillingly went out to her.

"I still love you," she mouthed to him.

It stung worse than any knife could.

Rory loaded the gun. "Enough games Time Lord, you have two options now."

The Doctor sighed. "The John Smith disguise usually works. That's disappointing."

Rory continued, ignoring the Doctor's comment. "We take over your little ship and let you stay here, if you don't put up any fight."

"And if I do put up a fight?"

Rory chuckled. "Then we take over a dead man's ship."

"The end of the Time Lords," sang Lizzie happily.

The last Time Lord looked at her and sighed. "You seemed so innocent when we first met."

Lizzie shrugged and said nothing.

"What will you do with my ship?" he asked quietly.

"Destroy it," answered Andrew. "It cannot exist anymore, the age of time travel is gone! All traces of it must die."

"Morbid little boy, aren't you?" the Doctor said to him. "Now you, I knew you were not so good from the first moment I saw you."

Andrew shrugged and said nothing.

"Doctor," Amy begged quietly. "Doctor, please, do as Rory says."

He gazed into her eyes. How could there be pain in her eyes for him? How could there be pity, or remorse, or sympathy in her gaze? How could she love him? How could she care about him?

The Doctor closed his eyes and saw _her_.

_Amy!_

_Doctor! Now's not a really good time._

_What's going on? _The fear was clear in his words.

_The priest is starting the ceremony. _

He sighed quietly, hoping that she would not hear his frustration. Yet, he could see her standing in front of Rory. He could see her in her white dress holding Rory's hands, and bending her head down so he would not see how her eyes were closed. And he could see how she shook in fear, in terror. He could even see Rory's delighted grin.

And that made him angry. And that made him fill with rage. And that made the last Time Lord ready to do battle again. And that made him know how much he loved her.

_Can you delay it? _

_I'll try, _she said. _Have you fixed the situation? _

_Um, _he replied, _working on it._

_You'll be careful? _

He felt like he could beam at her concern for him. _Yes._

_Doctor? _

_Yes?_

She sighed. _I wish this was all different. _

_I know you do, _he said gently.

_I wish I wasn't marrying him._

_Obviously, _replied the Doctor, _because he's evil._

_No, _began Amy, _and, I mean yes, that too. But…_

And then her image faded from his eyes and he opened his eyes to the other world. The Doctor stared at the family of four ready to kill him. This was his last battle, his last hurrah, his last chance. And he was not sure how to win it. He was not sure how to defeat the forces of evil standing before him. Because this battle was different. Because this battle was real, but it was also a dream, and it was also in his mind.

Because sometimes we see ourselves in the worst light imaginable. Because sometimes our darkest shadows morph into real images of flesh and blood. Because sometimes we need to fight the demons in ourselves. Because sometimes, we are our own worst nightmare.

The Doctor looked at Rory. He looked at Rory and he saw himself. He saw the controlling, domineering creature of evil that he was. He saw the man who wanted everything a certain way and wanted everyone to be a certain way. He saw a man who did not hold back his anger but was able to act on every impulse, use every muscle.

The Doctor looked at the children. He looked at Lizzie and Andrew and saw himself. He saw the innocence of each day in their eyes. He saw the truth, the ancient truth, hidden behind the naivety as well. He saw too the nagging feelings tugging him one way or another. The little voices full of little suggestions, seeming so pleasant, so docile.

And then he looked at Amy. He looked at Amy and saw everything he desired in the entire manifest itself in her. He had created her pain, so he could save her from it. He had created her weakness, so he could be stronger. He had created this hell for her, so that he could be the one to free her from it. And he had created the pity in her eyes, and sorrow in her words.

She was the Amy from his darkest thoughts and dreams. She was the Amy who fell helplessly in his arms and was blessed by his every touch. But she was not his Amy. She would never truly be his Amy.

Because his Amy was not perfect. His Amy was full of mistakes, of fear, of pain. And his Amy was strong, perhaps stronger than him. And his Amy was brave and would never take abuse in silence. And his Amy…his Amy would never force him to stay if he had to leave.

It was that knowledge that killed the Doctor. She had not told him to stay when he left her. She had accepted it, and only told him to return once the world was in danger.

But he wanted her to force him to stay. He wanted her to need him so close that she couldn't breathe. He wanted her to need him. To need him so badly that it hurt her. That it cut her and bruised her.

The Doctor saw how very much he was like Rory in that moment.

"None of this is real," he whispered. "None of you are real."

They all stood before him. Each one representing a different part of his darkest thoughts, of his secret soul.

"You came from up here," he continued pointing to his head. "And I suggest you go back there, now."

They did not move.

"I don't think you understand this," said the Doctor with determination. "You're manifestations from my mind, and nothing more." He turned now to face Amy. "My darkest thoughts come to life. And now you must go back into the darkness."

First Andrew disappeared, swept away into the breeze as if he had never existed.

Then Rory vanished, a certain calm on his face.

Lizzie stood beside her mother. But then she too was gone, though she tried to grab and claw her way towards the Doctor. And so it was just Amy and the Doctor standing in front of each other.

"I need to let you go," whispered the Doctor.

"Why?" asked Amy.

The Doctor sighed. "Because you're not her. You're my creation of her."

"But you don't want to go back," she insisted. "I can see it in your eyes."

The Doctor shook his head. "I have to go back. I have a world to save."

"But you don't want to!"

_But you don't want to. And wouldn't life be easier? Wouldn't it all just be easier here? Wouldn't you want to live life with the perfect image of her? _

_No!_

_No!_

_Because it should be hard. Because loving her should hurt me, not the other way around. Loving her should be painful, should sting, should cut me like a thousand knifes. Because that's what love is. That's what it means to love another person with all of your soul. _

"I do want to," he said calmly. "I want to go back home, back to her."

A tear fell down the creation's delicate cheek. "All the pain you've ever felt for her, it'll come back. Seeing it outside of your body, seeing it in me, will be nothing compared to how it'll feel once the pain is back in your body. You don't remember the sort of excruciating torture it is."

The Doctor smiled. "Bring it on."

And with that Amy was gone. And the Doctor, without giving it a second thought, went to work fixing the TARDIS. He thought of nothing else other than starting up the ship, other than making sure it would run again. His face was a mask of serenity, of momentary calm.

Because inside, he was screaming. Because now all the pieces were back in him, and all the voices in his head, all the insecurities returned. But he pushed it away; he pushed it away because he was the Doctor. Because he was a Time Lord. Because he was going to save the world again.

Because he was heart wrenchingly in love with Amelia Pond.

He closed his eyes. _I'm coming. I'm coming. Please believe me._

* * *

And across space and time, the girl who waited heard him speak to her in her thoughts. Amy heard him and was filled with determination and spirit.

"The vows," Father Robert was saying, "is an important part of any marriage ceremony. In their own words, the couple discusses how they feel about one another. They talk about the love they feel for the other. Who would like to go first?"

Rory sighed. "I don't have much to say."

Amy smiled at him. She took his hands in hers and let memories of the Doctor flow through her body. "That's alright Rory, I have a couple of things to say to you."

"Begin," said Father Robert.

"I remember," began Amy, "when I met you all those years ago, when we were both young children."

The Formian sighed. This was going to be long. She was going to drag this out…

But it didn't matter, the Formian reminded himself, because she would grow tired eventually. The pretty speech would end, and they would be joined together forever.

No one could stop that now.

"When I first saw you," said Amy with a smile, "I admit, I was a bit frightened of you. You seemed very smart, like you knew everything and weren't afraid to speak your mind."

* * *

"Damn it!" yelled the Doctor, kicking at the TARDIS.

"I'm sorry," he quickly apologized, "I'm not have the best day."

* * *

"But," said Amy, "you were very kind to me. You were always so kind to me, even when you knew I was crazy, or wrong. And you never looked down on me, didn't criticize me. And you grew up with me, went on journeys and adventures with me."

"That's very sweet," said Rory.

Amy smiled. "Thanks. But I'm not done yet."

"Oh," said Rory. "Go on."

The Formian cursed.

"And as I grew up, the spot in my heart filled with thoughts of you, until you took it over entirely. Until you filled it up."

* * *

"Come on girl," urged the Doctor to his ship. "I need you now. I need you now to be the best you will ever be. I need you to be all that I know you can be."

He touched a gear softly. "So please, please work."

* * *

"I think my heart told me that I loved you, before I could even speak the words properly. I'm not even sure I knew what it meant to love someone, to give your heart to another person. But it's never something they teach you in school, it's never something that you learn about. You just know it. You know it because your heart becomes a rocket when you're near the one you love."

* * *

The engines started purring slowly. But the Doctor felt that he could sing when he heard the familiar noise.

"Almost there, almost there."

* * *

"And when we were apart," continued Amy talking to one man but speaking to another, "and I realized how weak I felt, how very disorderly I felt, I knew I loved you. Like a car that doesn't run properly. Like a broken ship."

* * *

"I know you can put yourself together again," said the Doctor soothingly to the TARDIS. "You have to believe that you can. I've done all I can to make you whole!"

The TARDIS began to come to life.

* * *

"I come to life in your arms," said Amy squeezing Rory's hands. "And I love that only you can do that for me, because no one else has ever done that for me."

Rory looked at her, trying to smile but unable to do so.

The Formian was very angry. The Formian did not believe that Amy was actually talking about Rory during this little speech of hers.

"You're in my soul," continued Amy, "you're in my lungs, in my every breath…"

* * *

Music. The Doctor heard the music of the TARDIS as it breathed with new life and happiness.

"I knew you could do it," the Doctor said with relief.

The Doctor went quickly to set the coordinates.

_You need to live. You need to live for me. If I could talk to you now that's all I would tell you. Why didn't I tell you this before? _

"Maybe I've told you this before," said Amy grinning at Rory's blank expression, no longer seeing Rory there at all. "But I need to say it again: I love you. I love you, and that's about everything in my life I need. And I would go anywhere with you, do anything and everything for you."

"Geronimo!" whispered the Doctor as he and his ship disappeared from his dreams and he began to race through space towards his home, towards her.

Towards reality.

**WHAT DO YOU THINK! **

**i'd love to hear thoughts, feelings, anger, whatever!**


	12. Chapter 12 The Beauty of a Moment

**Yes so this was supposed to be published on July 24 as my birthday present to myself and to you. However many things came up, and you know how it is. this is short but angsty and sweet which is the really important thing. Shout out to Brittany hope you like this chapter! And please everyone who is still reading this, know that your comments have meant and do mean the world to me. **

**Disclaimer:**

**Amy**: Please tell me you own something.

**The Doctor/Me**: No, I have a thing (fanficiton). It's like owning something, but with more greatness

**Chapter Twelve: The Beauty of a Heartbeat**

The Formian felt truly blessed. He barely heard Father Robert's words, so ecstatically pleased. Because soon, very soon, the Formains would come back into power. Once they exchanged rings, and the priest made them man and wife…then the little human girl would be under his control. Under his complete and total control.

She would lead him back to her house and he would speak the ancient Formian language into the crack in her wall. And the crack would start to get bigger and bigger and bigger. And, all around this horrible little world, other cracks would begin to form and expand. The cracks would unleash a new age of darkness and chaos for the world.

And Earth was only the beginning.

The Formian did not worry about what would become of the body that he currently resided in. Once he left Rory's body, Rory would surely die. The Formian had been inside Rory for twenty some years, he knew the boy better than Rory knew himself. Rory was weak, Rory was nothing, Rory was human.

It was a simple as that.

Human beings, as far as the Formian was concerned, were incapable of surviving or doing anything on their own. They were terrible decision makers, lied constantly, and shallow, horribly shallow. But, for some unknown reason, humans had the annoying belief that each new generation of their race got a little better than the last.

_Pft. _As far as the Formain was concerned. Pft, of course translated into: 'what are you kidding me?'

Rory had no idea that these minutes were his last minutes on earth. He looked into Amy's eyes and saw a deep sadness in them. And he found it odd that she should feel that way, today of all days. And he was concerned about her, because there was still a little bit of human inside of him. He wanted to tell her that everything would be alright, sure marriage was scary, but they would have each other.

_Until death do us part._

Rory had no idea how very true that statement was. He had no idea how very close to death he was at this moment. He had no idea that something very dark and very evil was currently living inside of him.

As Father Robert talked on and on Rory took Amy's hands in his own. He tried to smile at her, hoping that she would smile back at him. To his surprise he saw her close her eyes. Rory thought that was rather curious. Perhaps she was trying to savor the moment, this moment, so she would remember it forever.

But, that was not at all what Amy was doing.

Sometimes two beings can form a very deep connection. Sometimes this connection can extend all the bounds of logical. Sometimes this connection can reach into the outskirts of space. Sometimes a connection was so strong, and so very deep that two minds could speak to one another.

_Doctor, _Amy said desperately to the man she saw in her mind's eye, _Doctor, we're nearing the end of this ceremony!_

She saw him groan in frustration and lean his head against his beloved ship. _I'll think of something._

_Think quicker!_

_Amy, _said the Doctor calmly, _do you know what kind of a creature you're marrying?_

_An alien, _she replied, _that's all I'm really sure about. A sadistic alien who wants to use me to end the world, or something._

The Doctor nodded and took a deep breath. _It's called a Formian. It is able to take over the body and mind of another being and command it. Once there used to be many of them on earth, I don't understand how I didn't see this before?_

Amy saw the Doctor sigh in irritation. _Why didn't you see it before?_

The Doctor said nothing for a little while and then replied, _I'm not sure. But I do know that Formians are very ancient creatures. The minds they are able to take over must be weak or easily swayed. Or legally bound to them._

Amy gulped. _Like me._

_Exactly, _said the Doctor.

The girl's heartbeat quickened. _Doctor! Why can't you hurry?_

_I'm trying, I'm trying!_

_Doctor, _Amy said quietly, _Doctor I'm…well I'm…_

_What?_

_Frightened. _She shivered.

_Everything will be alright, you'll see. I'll get there, and put a stop to the monster, and then everything will be fine. _

Amy sighed. _So let's say that you fix everything. Let's say that you destroy the monster, what exactly are you going to do?_

_I don't…well you know…I…_

Amy shook her head. She was trying very hard to not cry. _No, Doctor, I mean, what are you going to do, after you solve the problem? Will you leave again?_

As Amy and the Doctor spoke through their minds and broke through the bounds of space and time, Father Robert turned to Rory. He smiled at the boy. "Would you like to say any of your thoughts about marrying Amy?"

Rory, who currently had control over his own mind (as the Formian was doing something like a happy dance) Rory nodded.

"Amy," he whispered.

Amy slowly opened her eyes to look at Rory making the Doctor's image disappear. "Yes?"

Rory touched her cheek delicately with his right hand. He wiped the tear from her cheek without a word. "You know how much I care for you right? How much I adore you?"

Amy nodded.

"All I want is to make you happy; I think that's probably all I've ever wanted. You are the brightest light in my life, and I think, until I met you, I must have lived my life in darkness. I remember when I first met you, I remember thinking you were amazing. Truly amazing."

As Rory continued to speak the Formain realized what was going on. He groaned again. Not again, not again, he thought this mushy stuff was done when Amy had finished her vows. This was why he couldn't leave his body a moment for his own thoughts. Rory, without the Formian, was such a small man, unable to stand on his own two feet.

How the Formian longed to just abandon him now, now and just fly into Amy.

Amy's mind was the strange uncharted land that the Formian had never explored. For a human girl, Amy had strong mind. It was curious, because at times the Formain felt her thoughts were so obvious to read, and yet…yet he was forced to go through this ridiculous ceremony…

Humans were confusing. That was the only way to explain them.

Thankfully, for the Formain, if everything went as planned, the humans wouldn't be bothering him anymore.

There was a reason why the Doctor, the Time Lord, one of the most superior life forms in any galaxy, had not been able to see the evil inside Rory.

He had not wanted to admit it, but the truth was becoming very clear. And as he zoomed through the vastness that was Space, he understood. He understood that he thought of Rory as just a weak threat, nothing more. And once Amy had agreed to come aboard the TARDIS the Doctor just figured that he had won.

And his thoughts had always been on Amy. He was not aware that there was something more dangerous than flying around through time with him. But being on her own, being with _him,_ with his terrible claws in beautiful strong Amy Pond.

The Rory in the Doctor's alternate reality was not the real Rory. But he had been the worst possible version of Rory, and of the Doctor himself. Though the Time Lord knew he would never treat Amy in such a horrible way, he feared what Rory would do to her.

"Okay," said the Doctor in a voice of defeat, "okay so I love her, alright! I love Amy Pond! What do you want me to do? Not love her? I can't just not love her! And I know it's not right, I know that she and I come from different worlds…but…why not? Why not? Why do I have to be the last of the Time Lords? Why do I have to carry that on my shoulders?"

Because there were times when the Doctor wished that he was just John Smith, and could live in a world where time passed slowly, and in the right order. There were times when he wanted to step out of the TARDIS and into a completely different existence. And there were times where he wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms as tightly as he could.

When he came back, when he saved the world again, what was he going to do? Amy had asked a puzzling question. Was he just going to leave again? Leaving her once hurt him, but leaving her twice would surely kill him.

_Say goodbye to the last Time Lord._

But of course he would have to leave. He was the Doctor after all. It was his job to go through time and fix things. Who else was going to save the world? Who else was going to work the TARDIS and wield the sonic screwdriver?

But, on the other hand, perhaps she could come with him. Maybe they could try it all over again…and he would be careful this time. He would be extra careful.

Even being extra careful with Amy wouldn't save her. It wouldn't save her from the graying hairs, and the growing wrinkles of old age. Because that was what time did to humans. Time didn't go through them easily. Every step Time took, was painful to human beings. And it had no affect on the Doctor.

This was one of those rare moments, when the Doctor wished that he could have been human.

Only for a moment, just to tell her that he loved her. Only for a moment, just to hold her close to him. Only for a moment, just to feel her heartbeat echo his own. Only for a moment which would feel like a lifetime with her…with Amy.

"Do you have the rings?" Father Robert asked Rory.

Rory's hands went to his pockets. But he found both surprisingly empty. He gave Amy a quizzical look, and then looked towards Father Robert. "No, they must have slipped out of my pocket."

"Didn't John have the rings?" Amy asked, with a small hint of a smile on her face.

The Formian groaned silently. Stupid human girl, ready to spoil everything! How could he have been so careless? But he was not going to let silly old rings stop his moment. He had waited far too many years for this moment. Nothing was going to stop him.

"We can still be married without the rings, right?" Rory asked Father Robert.

Father Robert nodded. "Of course. They are merely symbols after all. Now, I shall continue with the ceremony. Rory, do you take Amelia Jessica Pond, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death parts you?"

Rory held Amy's hands in his own. He ignored for this moment that they were cold, and shaking terribly. He ignored for this moment how very small they felt in his own. And he ignored all the voices in his head that weakened him. "I do."

Father Robert turned to Amy. "Now, Amy, do you take Rory Williams to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death parts you?"

Amy's heart was beating so loudly she could barely hear the words. Her heart was beating so loudly that it seemed to block out everything in the entire room, maybe the entire world. And time seemed to slow, to halt, for a minute.

Amy thought about her life with Rory before she knew the kind of creature that was lurking inside of him. She thought about how she had been pulled away from that life by a man who had fulfilled all of her childhood daydreams and fairytales. And she thought about how captivated she had been, living in his world, seeing the beauty and the wonder, and breaking all of the shackles time had placed on her.

And for that moment, Amy wished that she was a Time Lord.

Only for a moment, just to tell him that she loved him. Only for a moment, just to hold him close to her. Only for a moment, just to feel his heartbeat echo her own. Only for a moment, which would feel like a lifetime with him, ten lifetimes with him…the Doctor.

_Her _Doctor.

Her Time Lord.

"Amy?"

Amy blinked. The spell of halted time, broken. She looked towards Father Robert. "Hm?"

"Do you want me to repeat myself?" he asked her.

"Yes?" Amy asked, feeling her cheeks redden.

"Do you take this man, Rory Williams, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death parts you?"

Amy looked at Rory and felt a shiver run down her spine.

The Formian glared at the girl. _Just say yes._

And Amy thought about what it would be like to say no. She thought about the absolute freedom she would feel by breaking free of Rory's grasp. She imagined the chains snapping as she skipped, no , ran, down the aisle, past the nameless faces. And ran out into the rainy afternoon with all the speed.

And then the Doctor would come.

_Maybe._

And he would fix everything that was broken.

_Maybe._

And he would destroy evil being inside of Rory.

_Maybe._

And then?

He would leave. He would leave because he did not love her. He would leave because it was better this way. It was better for her, for her safety.

So what was the harm in saying yes to Rory? What was the harm in letting the creature destroy her soul and bend her to his will? She had nothing in this world, and when the Doctor came and left, as he would certainly do, she would be left with nothing.

The Doctor heard the beautiful sound of his landing ship. The groaning, creaking, lovely, darling, sound that it made. As soon as it was safe he opened the doors of the ship, feeling the sudden rush of rain beat down on his body. He was in her time, finally, at long last. He was in the right reality, her reality.

He stepped out of the TARDIS and saw a huge church in front of him. Without a thought, without a second look, he ran towards it with all the speed he could muster. He ran towards the two great doors armed with only his screwdriver, and his heart. His heart which was only for her.

"Amy?" Father Robert asked. "What is your reply?"

Amy might have heard the squeaking sound of doors opening. She might have heard the pattering, the fervent pattering, of footsteps coming closer and closer to the chapel. And she might have heard the harsh breathing, the intent breathing.

And if she really listened closely she would have heard a heartbeat which beat in tune with her own.

But she felt Rory's hands grip hers tightly. She had to bite her lip to keep from groaning in the sharp pain.

Behind her the double doors were beginning to swing open.

"My answer," Amy began, "is…"

The candlelight revealed a shadowy figure opening the doors with all of his remaining strength. He was tired, he was drenched in water, and he felt weak. But he saw a girl in a white dress straight ahead of him. A young, beautiful girl, with long, flowing red hair. And she was shaking. He could see that from across the room, from across time, and in his mind's eye.

"Yes."

And as Amy spoke she was drowned out by the Doctor's fervent cry.

"AMY!"

**So what's gonna happen? Please tell me what you think, or feel, or believe, i'd love to hear your thoughts**


	13. Chapter 13 The Beauty of a Confession

**It has been a really really really really long time since I've written this story. I thank everyone for their comments and likes and favorites. I hope that some of you outthere will read this, and like this and tell me waht you think. I plan to update someo of my other stories too and write new stuff. Especially with the new season coming soon. I love all of you and hope that you have not given up on my or this story. **

**Chatper 13: The Beauty of a Confession**

**Disclaimer:**

******The Doctor/Me**: This is something i don't own. Let's go and poke it with a stick. 

"Amy!"

It was a harsh and bitter cry that seemed to erupt from the Doctor's soul.

He saw Amy turn towards him, her brilliant eyes sparkled briefly and her mouth opened. They stood together in this moment where time itself seemed to be a rest. And it was in this moment without time that the Doctor's heart beat in tune with Amy's. And it was in this moment without time when they felt that they were the only two people in the room, and maybe even in the entire world.

But it was, after all, only a moment. The Time Lord was fiercely dragged back into reality when he saw Rory's arms clamp onto Amy's writs which made her gasp and try to pull away. But the Doctor could see the look in Rory's eyes, it was not one of any human, it was the look of a triumphant Formian.

"You are too late Doctor," hissed the voice from inside Rory, "she is mine now."

"No!" yelled the Doctor. Armed with his screwdriver he tried to run through the aisle to fight the Formian. However as he began to run the entire crowd stood up at once and turned on the Doctor. Their eyes, all fiery red, were glazed over as they slowly approached the Time Lord.

"Do you see now?" asked the pleased voice from within Rory, "They are all under my control." He then turned to face Amy. He smiled at her as if he knew a secret that she did not. As if he knew that all the secrets to the universe could be unlocked now because he was in possession of the girl named Amy Pond. Because Amy Pond was no normal girl with a crack in her wall.

She was something much more valuable.

She was the key to unleash the darkness into the world.

The Formian locked eyes with Amy. Amy gulped, unable to look away from the Formian's gaze as if she was now forcefully placed into submission. She tired with all of her might to turn away, to close her eyes, to do anything.

It was then that she heard his voice in her mind…his beautiful voice calling to her.

_You need to strong, Amy._

_Doctor? _Amy's heart was pounding.

_He is trying to take you over, you cannot let him do that to you._

Am_y _bit her lip as the red eyes stared into hers. Her head was growing very fuzzy, she suddenly felt extremely tired. Almost as if she could collapse on the ground this very minute. Her entire body was shaking, convulsing almost, and she had no control over it. And as she shook, the Formain laughed proudly.

"AMY!" the Doctor screamed again.

He was restrained by two of the guests, but he felt totally powerless at that moment. At that moment as he watched the girl he loved, the girl that he would have given his life, and five lifetimes for, was slowly losing herself to the will of one of the galaxy's greatest enemies.

"Amy," he whispered with defeat.

The Formian felt himself going into Amy's mind, and leaving the body of Rory. He felt new again though he was ancient. He felt strong again, in this new body. He could use this human, this key, to bring darkness into the human world. He would guide her to step through the crack in her room, he would tell her what to whisper, what to say, and that would bring the rest of the Formians to earth. She would be the key, and the bridge, so that the rest of the Formians could enter and control Earth.

The Formian had to admit it, it was all very poetic.

Amy's eyes glowed with like a red flame.

_You are mine now, Amelia Pond._

_GET OUT OF MY HEAD!_

_I don't think so. Besides, this will be good for you. Generations of Formains will tell this story time and again, you will be cheered as a hero. Well, not really, I'll be the hero. You're just the key._

_GET OUT OF MY HEAD!_

_If I do that, I'll have to kill your Doctor. With me in your head, he won't touch me now. In fact, why don't you tell the others to move away from him? I'm sure they'll listen to you now._

"Get away from the Doctor!" Amy yelled in a voice that was no longer her own.

All at once the wedding guests that were surrounding the Doctor moved away from him. And all at once Rory, collapsed on the ground. He was quietly shaking, though no one took much notice of him. His mind was a maze suddenly. For so long his thoughts, his actions, his everything, had not really been of his own doing. Suddenly his mind felt very foreign to him, very big and scary. Now that the Formian was no longer inside of him, part of him, he was free.

But the freedom was almost killing him. Rory was not sure if he was strong enough to survive in this world all alone. There was no purpose to him anymore. Why not just crumple onto the floor and give up? It would be easy, almost simple, really. Besides, it was that was expected of him. This was all he had been made for: a way to get close to Amy Pond. His entire life had been just for that one moment…

But the Formian was wrong. Humans had more inside of them. Much more.

And Rory had a soul, and he had an essence, and he had a mind of his own.

_My name is Rory Williams, and I am a man. And I am me again. And I am not afraid of me._

He took a deep breath.

And while Rory tried to bring himself to life again, the Doctor started running towards Amy. The red-eyed wedding guests parted like a sea to make way for the Doctor as he ran through, down the aisle and up the alter towards Amy.

Amy tried to smile, but the Formain was preventing her mouth to curve upwards.

_My Doctor is coming to save me._

The Formian sighed. This human wasn't going to give up. But it was no matter. He was already inside of her. She was already under his control. There was nothing that anyone could do to stop him now.

_You're such a human. Always hopeful. If he kills me, then you die too._

"Stop!" Amy yelled as the Doctor stood in front of her. "Don't come any closer."

The Doctor took a deep breath of oxygen. "Formian, you know very well who I am, and why I have come here. I am the Doctor, and I order you to leave this human girl alone. I thought I had banished your kind to the different corners of the galaxy."

"One of us found a crack," Amy heard herself saying. "And once this girl goes through the wall, she'll bring the rest of us over. And we'll be a people again, we'll be strong again. Earth is just the beginning. After we conquer this miserable little planet, then we will take over every planet within our reach. Oh, Doctor, you, out of everyone, should understand the excitement of having your people back together again. I won't be alone anymore. We won't be alone."

The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at Amy. "Let the girl go."

"I'm surprised you're here, Doctor, didn't you like the world I set up for you?" Amy asked. She heard herself give a shrill laugh.

"Too fake for my tastes," the Time Lord countered evenly. Inside he was breaking. It tore him to shreds to see Amy this way. To see his beautiful Amy, his strong Amy, used in this horrible manner. It was almost as horrible as the Amy from the nightmare world.

Amy felt her shoulders move in a shrug. "If you try to kill me, you'll kill her too. And I don't think you'd like that very much, would you?"

The Doctor opened his mouth and then closed it again.

He closed his eyes and saw Amy in his mind. But he was not looking at the Amy he currently was facing with fiery eyes and a mind that was not her own. Within the Doctor's vast mind he was trying to find the spirit of the girl he loved. He searched through every crevice and every corner of his mind for that connection that he had shared with her. That connection that had helped him come back to her.

_Amy! Amy!_

Nothing.

_Amelia!_

Still nothing.

"Now," Amy continued speaking for the Formian, "if you have nothing further to say, we'll be on our way to the human's house." Amy walked past the Doctor, down the aisle, towards the red-eyed guests. "I am going now, you all will stay back here in case he tries to follow us. You have all served a noble purpose."

The guests nodded silently and stood around Amy as she walked out of the door. They then stood around the door, preventing the Doctor from chasing after Amy.

The Doctor spoke an ancient Time Lord curse quietly.

"I have no idea what that means," said a voice behind him, "but it doesn't sound too good."

The Doctor blinked, and wheeled around to see Rory sitting up and looking at him. He gave Rory a smile small despite the situation and helped him stand up. "Good to see you as you again."

Rory nodded. "What's going on exactly? I was getting married, only I wasn't, right?"

"Yes," the Doctor said. "Mostly right." He folded his arms and stared at the mindless wedding guests.

Rory stood beside him and looked out into the crowd of guests. "The wedding guests are staring at us," he whispered to the Doctor. "Mom and dad, my friends, they're all staring at us, like zombies." He shivered, remembering when he too was like them, a body without a soul, without a real mind.

"Zombie is a fine description of them," the Doctor said calmly.

Rory shook his head. "I don't understand you, Doctor. How can you be so calm and normal at a time like this? I might not have understood everything that Amy, or you, or that thing, were saying, but I'm pretty sure that the end of the world is coming. It doesn't seem to bother you at all."

The Doctor took a deep breath and tried not to be angry. "It bothers me a great deal. It bothers me as much as a species dying, earth shattering, sun exploding, event would bother someone like me. I've seen it. I've seen worlds end and beings die for centuries and it kills me every time."

_But this time its nearly destroying me. Because this time, she's dying too._

"We need to stop them," Rory said, trying to break the uncomfortable tension he felt at the Doctor's answer. "How do you stop that creature?"

The Doctor bit his lip. "Water."

"Water?" Rory repeated.

"Formians hate water, drives them crazy. Can't think in—" The Doctor stopped talking. His eyes grew very wide. A small smile crept onto his face. Perhaps. Perhaps there was still some hope yet. He looked towards the stain glass windows. He could see raindrops on the windows, perhaps it was still raining…perhaps there was still a chance.

His heart began to beat, as if it had forgotten the motions and now remembered again.

The Doctor took out his sonic screw driver and aimed it towards the group like a sword. "Are you ready? Ready to save the entire earth, Rory?"

Rory blinked. "Hold on, we're just going to charge through them? Isn't that kinda suicidal?"

"Formians need a lot of water to die, but those they mind control, like these poor bodies, only need a bit of water to freak them out. Rory, get your saliva ready."

And with that the Doctor and Rory charged into the crowd of mindless wedding guests spitting every this way and that.

The Formain walked Amy down the hallway towards the doors of the church.

_I nev_er _thought this moment would come, I mean, I always hoped it would come, but I never thought that it would be so easy. The human boy crumbling so easily, the Doctor falling like a stack of cards, no one to stop me, no one to question. _

_Do you have to keep talking? _Amy asked angrily._ Isn't it enough that you're controlling every part of me? Do I have to listen to your egotistic monologues? _

_If you just gave your mind over to me willingly, then you wouldn't have to listen. Besides, you should be grateful I didn't kill your precious Doctor back there. _

_He could have killed you,_ Amy thought proudly.

_I don't understand, _the Formain said, _why you defend him so strongly? He can't love you back. Don't try to be embarrassed I can see it in your thoughts, foolish human. Don't you know that the Time Lord is the last of his kind? He is part of the universe in such a way that even my kind do not understand, how can you possibly mean anything to him? You are a speck in a tiny world in a tiny solar system. _

Amy approached the door to the church. She stood in front of it. Through the rain drops on the glass windows she could see a clear night had come. The rain had come and gone, leaving clarity in its place.

_Open the door. _The Formian was insistent.

_No!_

_I'm not asking, did you hear me ask? Open the door!_ Amy's hand slowly moved up, despite her protests, towards the door. Her fingers wrapped themselves around the handle and her arm moved the circlular knob so that the door swung open.

"Amy!"

The Formian knew that voice. He knew that voice and he hated that voice for existing. The damned Time Lord! Why couldn't he just go off somewhere and stop bothering him while he was trying to change the world? Well, it didn't matter now anyway. The rain was gone, and the Formian felt good. Amy turned around. And the Formian stared with shock.

He was confronted with both the Doctor and…

What was that human's name?

Dory?

Mory?

This gave the Formian pause. He hadn't expected the human male to recover so quickly and so well from the loss of his presence. He had been inside the human for more than ten years, he had controlled him for the human's entire life. The human shouldn't be able to breathe without him much less chase him and try to fight. How was this possible?

But nothing could stop him now. Especially not a boy and a Time Lord.

"I don't know how you got past the humans, Doctor, and I don't know how you survived, boy," Amy said. "But you are both too late."

The Doctor and Rory for their part, were out of breath. They were glad to catch up with Amy. Formians moved quickly, and the darkness gave them even more speed. Once Amy stepped outside she would be as fast as lightning. And besides, they had not permently stopped the red-eyed guests. The Doctor looked at Rory, and Rory looked at the Doctor.

"I'll hold them off," Rory said with a smile, preparing more saliva. "Go save the girl. Especailly if what you told me about the Formain's speed is true, I'll only slow you down."

The Doctor nodded. "It was an honor spitting with you."

"Don't mention it."

The Doctor raced towards Amy as she opened the door and stepped into the darkness. Amy, led by the Formain broke into a swift run. The Doctor was quick on her tail. He watched as her white dress twirled this way and that as she moved down different roads and streets. It was almost beautiful, and graceful, had it been under different circumstances. The Formian turned back to look at the Doctor. He was not at all worried. He was enjoying this game, this pathetic little game. And he knew he was winning. It was the only logical outcome.

"Just give up," Amy yelled to the Doctor. "Give up and go away. Go back into your ship and leave this world to me and my mind. Honestly, why don't you ever just give in? She isn't there anymore. There is no more Amy Pond. That girl that you knew, doesn't exist."

"You are in there, Amy," the Doctor shouted back to Amy. "I know that he's probably filled your head with lots of things that sound true, but none of them are real. You are in there, Amy Pond, and you are stronger then you think."

"What if she's not stronger?" Amy asked. "You left her didn't you? You left her to get married, to have three children, to have a house with a white picket fence, to have a normal existence, to die. You left her to grow up. And she grew up. Why can't you?"

"Amy, you need to find your real self in that maze!" the Doctor pleaded, almost out of breath and out of strength. "Amy, you need to come back."

"Why?" Amy asked, suddenly feeling like her eyes were watery. "So you can save the world? So you can be the hero and then leave again?"

The Formian gasped. Watery eyes! Watery eyes!

That shouldn't be happening! That shouldn't be happening!

He was supposed to be controlling her. He was supposed to be in control of her.

The Formian tried to move faster, but he felt a tear touch the girl's cheek. Amy's pace slowed down.

"Amy, don't you understand?" The Doctor asked, now catching up to her. "Don't you understand why I came back?"

"You always show up where there is trouble," Amy yelled back. She was still running, but much slower now. And there was another tear that slid down her cheek. "And then you always save the day. It's that simple."

"Amy, I didn't come back for the world, I came back for you. I came back for you because you are my world."

More tears fell from the girl's cheeks. The Formian screamed. Amy screamed. "No! Stop! Stop saying these things!" She stopped moving now. She was breathing heavily, unaccustomed to the pace she had traveled. Inside the Formian and the bits that were still Amy Pond were fighting against each other to be in control.

"I'll never stop," the Doctor yelled coming towards her. "I will never stop chasing after you, TARDIS or no. Don't you see? And you can send me to the deepest corner of the galaxy, and I'll still find you. And you can lock me in a twisted reality, and I'll still find you. I will always come back to find you. And I am not going to leave you again, not while I'm breathing. Amy, I love you."

"I hate you!" Amy screamed. She tried to wipe away the tears from her eyes. But that only made her shriek when her hands touched the tears. "I hate you so much!"

The Doctor smiled. "I love you, I love you so deeply, and so fully."

Amy screamed even louder. "You can't do this to me. You can't take this away from me. I'm still in her, I'm still in control of her."

The Doctor glanced by the side of a road and saw a puddle. He looked back at Amy and smiled. "I'm sorry about this, you're doing so well Amy. I promise this will turn out alright. Just remember that when it gets darkest, and you feel the most lost, I will find you. Somehow."

He took Amy's shoulders and forced her and him towards the puddle. He rolled her body so that she was completely drenched in the water.

The Formian bellowed. "NO!"

Amy shook again. This time with greater force and craziness then when the Formian had entered her. Her eyes rolled up into the back of her head. Her breath came out in gasps. She felt utterly sick, and wet, and weak.

The Formian felt himself dying. He felt himself going. There was so much water. There was water everywhere on him. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think. He couldn't be. If only there was no such thing as water, or Time Lords, or girls that were keys, or love. Yes, while he lay there dying, he cursed the existence of love in all of its forms.

And then the Formian was no more.

Amy Pond lay in her wedding dress, in the puddle that was by the side of the road, in her Doctor's arms.

"Amy?" the Doctor whispered. "Amy?"

**OMG WHATS GONNA HAPPEN? the suspense the drama the angst...gotta lovve me some angs. Plez tell me you comments questions concernts and thoughts about the new series love you all**


	14. Chapter 14 Return to me, my love

**Its been a long time, guys. A long time. But we've finally reached the ending. It has been so much fun writing this but it has greatly changed as my views on Doctor who have changed. Rory, is now a better person because I realized how awesome he was. And though i love 11/amy i do love rory/amy now so therefore it was difficult to write this last chapter especially since the ponds are gone. I also think this will be my last chapter unless theres an outcry for more (which I wouldnt object if there was) I hope to write more of doctor who over winter break. Again thanks for all the support and reviews you've been awesome feel free to read, review and enjoy**

**Disclaimer: from The wedding of River song**

******The Doctor (me)**: Imagine you didn't own anything. Imagine you were afraid and a long way from home and in terrible pain. Just when you thought it couldn't get worse, you looked up and saw the face of the Disclamier. _(pause)_ Hello, Dalek.

******Supreme Dalek**: _[Panicked]_ Emergency! Emergency! Weapons systems disabled! Emergency!_[The Dalek's voice becomes distorted and muffled as the Doctor removes its dome]_

******The Doctor (me)**: Hush now. I need some information from your data core. Everything the Daleks know about the Disclaimer..

**Chapter 14: Return to Me, My Love**

Amelia Pond was so tired and cold. She had been waiting up all night for her raggedy doctor to come back. _He said five minutes. He promised me he would come back in five minutes. _Amelia rubbed her shoulders for warmth and gazed up at the starlight sky, wondering if she'd be able to see his blue box among those pale lights.

_Amelia!_

A voice that sounded like the Doctor's reverberated through her ears loudly and forcefully.

Excited, Amelia tried to run to the source of the sound. But she found she was unable to move her legs. Actually, the more she thought about it, she could not move from the seated spot on top of her suitcase. She tried to yell out but it hurt tremendously to do so.

_Amy, can you hear me? _The Doctor's voice rang out once more from some far off distant place.

It surprised Amelia that, not only was she cold and tired but all of her body ached. She tried wrapping her arms around herself, but that was no help. She shivered.

* * *

"I just sent mum and dad home," Rory said, approaching the Doctor who was still kneeling over Amy's body.

"Do they remember anything?" The Doctor asked quietly, his eyes on Amy rather than Rory.

"Not much," Rory answered, "neither do the other guests. It was easy to convince them it was a bad dream and that they all should go home and get some rest."

"I wish it was."

Rory knelt by the Doctor and looked at Amy sadly. "Will she be alright?"

The Doctor removed his jacket and folded it. Then, gently lifted Amy's head he placed the jacket under her head. Even though he knew she could not feel it, he wanted her to be comfortable. Unconscious but comfortable.

"Will she be alright?" Rory repeated urgently.

"Formians that take over their victims aggressively weaken their victims. Its worse if the victims fight back. Amy's body is trying to recover, but its also trying to slip away and give up."

Rory wasn't sure he was following. "Doctor, that thing possessed me for year, and I'm fine."

For the first time the Doctor turned to Rory and gave him a genuine grin. "You fought so bravely, Rory Williams. But didn't you feel, just for a moment, like you wanted to give up?"

Rory did not want to think back on his experience with the Formain. A creature who at once gave him inhuman courage and brutality. When the Formian had left his body he was unsure that he was strong enough to go on. But he thought about the Formian inside Amy, and he thought about the world ending, and the cruel acts he had unknowingly committed while under the Formian's control. He had wanted revenge, and he had wanted forgiveness and a way to pay for his sins. But he remembered that he had been slipping into darkness, and he remembered being a little boy playing in a sandbox. He was so happy. Why would he ever want to leave?

The memories of living had helped him open his eyes again…

"DOCTOR!" Rory yelled.

The Doctor had already turned his attentions back to Amy. He had been smiling sadly at her, stroking her auburn hair with his finger tips. Rory's yell had irked him slightly. "Yes?" he asked turning towards his ally slowly.

"I know what's happening to Amy."

* * *

Amelia was so tired that she had already yawned twice. It took too much effort to sit on the suitcase so she managed, very slowly, to lie on her back on the grass. The entire night sky was before her, millions of glowing eyes stared down at her, examining her just as she examined them. What was she looking for again? A man in a blue box?

The Doctor.

Honestly, she wasn't sure she could remember why she had been looking for him in the first place. The night was so beautiful that she could spend eternity lying down, gazing up. Watching and never taking in everything. The cold had now stolen the warmth from her coat and mittens. She couldn't feel her nose, and didn't remember what it was like to wiggle her fingers. But she was beginning to not mind.

_Amy!_

That voice again! Honestly, was he never going to leave? Its not that he wanted to be here anyway. Shouldn't he be off in another galaxy? Didn't he not want her anymore?

Her fingers suddenly felt prickly and warm inside the otherwise cold mittens.

Her hand shook.

* * *

Rory laughed happily as he gripped Amy's hand in his.

"See?" he asked the Doctor proudly. "She took my hand."

The Doctor was glad for the positive signs. But Amy had been under condition longer than Rory. Rory had told him that what he remembered was the image of a child in a sandbox. He had been making sand castles happily. He remembered feeling sleepy and wanting to lie down in the sandbox. But before it had gotten too strong of a hold on him he had remembered that it was important for him to live and survive. That feeling he could not explain. Not to the Doctor nor to himself.

He had tried touching Amy's hand, seeing if that triggered memories.

And it did, but only slightly and not enough to awaken her.

The Doctor smiled sadly at Rory. "Let go of her hand."

Rory didn't understand but he let go.

The Doctor knew if he wanted Amy back he would have to fight for her in a way that scared him. In a way that he did not feel strong enough to do. But he had to save Amy. She deserved it. She deserved the truth no matter how much it scared or hurt him.

The Doctor gently touched Amy's forehead. "Amy can you hear me? I have to tell you something."

* * *

Her forehead felt unreasonably warm. She felt more awake. "Wha-" She managed to say.

_Do you know who I am? Do you remember me?_

Amy had an image of a man with a tie. He had a box. It may have been blue.

But he was far away. He was long gone.

_Fish fingers. Custer._

Amelia sat up. They did have fish fingers. And Custer. It was a blue box. And the man with the raggedy tie had existed. He was a raggedy Doctor.

_Don't be scared, _the Doctor whispered. _Amy, I need you to come back. I need you here. _

Before her eyes she saw an image of her Doctor. He was staring down at her smiling. No. He was on his knees. And his hair was wet though it had not been raining where she was. And he had no jacket so he must have been cold, she thought. She was thinking again. It was curious to see him wearing a bow tie and not a regular tie. But he had told her something about that too. Hadn't he?

_Bow ties are cool…_that was something very far away too.

Her Doctor, and yet not her doctor. He was not raggedy. But he looked terribly sad and tired. He was smiling too, which was nice to see. She liked his smiles, especially when they were for her. Her cheeks felt warm and red.

_I love you. I want you for my companion for as long as you want to be mine. I left you because I was scared to love. I loved a woman once, a long time ago. I lost her, I lost her and I did not want to lose you. But I need you to know that I love you, Amy Pond. With both of my hearts. _

He took her hand in his and pressed it against both sides of his chest. She felt two heart beats. It surprised her that her eyes felt wet. Her whole body was glowing with warmth. Memoires like fireworks, exploded brilliantly in every corner of her mind. The Doctor leaving her. Formian. The helpful monks. Her in-laws. Running in a white dress. In her wedding dress. The Doctor had returned, but she had not. She had been something else, some other creature taking her voice as his own. She remembered lots of rain, and how it stung her. Stung and killed the Formian.

Very slowly Amy opened her eyes.

* * *

"Doctor?"

The Doctor opened his own eyes and saw Amy looking up at him smiling gently at him.

"Hi," he said weakly, barely managing to contain his excitement at seeing the green in her eyes again.

"Hello," Rory said waving happily at Amy.

Grinning at both, Amy sat up with difficulty. She realized that she soaking wet in her white wedding dress. She took the Doctor's jacket lying next to her and wrapped it around herself for warmth.

"We're glad you're back," Rory said brightly. "It was a little touch and go there."

The Doctor just nodded. He found himself at a loss for words after his confession to her. Amy was looking back at him, similarly quiet.

Rory rolled his eyes. "Okay, I'll be inside and start cleaning up. Come in when you're ready." He stood up from the concrete and then, gently kissed Amy on the forehead. "I'm glad to have my friend back," he whispered kindly. They squeezed each other's hand in comforting silence and then Rory walked off to the church.

"So," Amy said when Rory was inside. "You were saying something earlier."

The Doctor gave her a little grin. "Yes. Yes, I was. I was, um, thinking about taking a trip to visit my old friend Cleopatra. To make sure she hasn't gotten herself into any trouble. Do you want to come along?"

"For one last ride?" Amy asked.

To answer her, he moved close to her and kissed her fully on the lips. She responded, taking hold of his hair with her fingers that sent shivers down his spine. When they parted he wrapped her arms around him. "For as long as you want to stay, my lovely and brilliant, Amy," he whispered into her hair. When they parted he held out a key to the TARDIS in his open palm.

They found Rory standing by the TARDIS when they entered the church, hand in hand.

Rory nodded when he saw them. "Are you both planning to fly off in this?"

Amy and the Doctor exchanged a glance.

"Because I thought," Rory began, "because I thought that since I helped save the world I could come for at least one of these trips." He touched the blue police box next to him in bewildered awe and excitement. "I think that's only fair."

"What do you think?" the Doctor asked, turning to Amy. She took out the key in her other hand and unlocked the door smartly.

"I say," said Amy, "he gets at least two trips."

Rory, feeling at his best self, walked into the TARDIS followed closely by the Doctor and Amy. They did not release the other's hand. And the Doctor, as he shut the door behind them was sure that he never would let go of her again.

_**The End :)**_

So that's the end of the tale. It ended well. Thank goodness. Let me know what you think.


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